A Life Free of Worry

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 15, 2015

A Life Free of Worry 

Daily Thought: I choose to worry, and I can choose not to

Daily Reading: Matthew 7:25-34

If you believe and follow Jesus- life will be worry-free and perfect. Not likely. In fact Jesus promised that we, as Christians, will face trials and hardships, just like anyone else. Jesus did, however, promise us a special refuge and strength found in Him that is not found anywhere else in the world. 

In fact, Jesus made a particular point to address worry. I imagine that he did this because of His understanding of how destructive worry can be. Worry robs us of enjoying the here and now and from cherishing the little things in life. It commands our minds into focusing on the bad instead of focusing on the good. It carves a quick and painful path of destruction in our lives and serves no purpose. 

Luckily, God knows and loves us and has given us some important guidance on dealing with worry. Jesus points us to some specific solutions, as outlined in today's reading. They are: 

1. To have faith. Above all else, you must believe that our Father in Heaven has our best interests in mind and has a plan for our lives. Jesus says that if we "Seek the Kingdom of God and live righteously" that God can and will meet our needs. Do note, however, that our "needs" and "wants" are often two very different things. 

2. Refuse to worry. Jesus says to "Leave tomorrow for tomorrow, for it will have its own struggles". Jesus is saying two things: The first is that worrying does not solve problems. If anything, worry creates problems. Think about that time you stayed up half the night worrying and how exhausted it made you when you actually had to deal with the problem. 

The second is that we should "worry about" overcoming the problems that are right in front of us in the moment. In focusing on improving ourselves and the life we are living, even moment by moment, we create opportunities for growth and build an attitude for overcoming obstacles. In other words, focusing on and overcoming the challenges that lie in front of us builds up the steam to overcome the challenges that are yet to come. Like creating a winning attitude. 

You see, if we approach our problems as obstacles to overcome instead of harboring stress through worry, we live a healthier life. If we are living a healthier life, we are more likely to overcome the obstacles. We, in turn, create a cycle of positive energy in our lives instead of spinning into a negative one. So as we go on today, lets us commit to refusing to worry. Instead, we will leave the future in the hands of God and focus on solving the puzzles that are before us in the moment. Peace and grace be to your all and God Bless!