Don't Worry...Be Happy...

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Have you ever experienced a time when things were so overwhelming that you could not sleep? Have there been times when you were so preoccupied with a problem that you could scarcely function? Have there been issues in your life that seem to control every waking thought? If so, you know worry. Paul understood that humans have a natural tendency to become anxious. He knew that anxiety is one of the greatest thieves of joy.

Don't you hate when people tell you not to worry? It is so easy to say and much, much harder to do. Don't you sometimes feel that the person who is telling you not to worry is the one who doesn't fully comprehend the problem because if they did they would be worried too? I think Paul understood this...he knew that worry is natural, but also that it is a thief. Worry robs us of our ability to think, function and enjoy life.

How do we avoid worry. There is only ONE way...we have to ASK God to help us put our worries down and trust Him to meet them. I am not capable of giving up my worries on my own. I must rely on God to alleviate them...over and over again (because I tend to pick them back up over and over again). Only when I give my worries and anxieties to God can I REST in Him and engage in life again.

This is an area I struggle with often...and am struggling with now. Join with me in prayer...ask your Perfect Parent to take those worries and exchange them for rest and joy in living.

Hugs~A