Freed From Worry Warts!!
Once upon a time, I was a worry-wart. YES! ME!! It was so bad... one of my childhood friend's mother gave me that nick name. She would remind me quite often... "There's no need to worry!!!" Now looking back... she was ABSOLUTELY right!! But can you honestly say that you don't struggle with worry? I certainly still do... I'm just not as bad as I used to be. (As in, that nick name finally disappeared)! Isn't it funny how easy it is to worry? And yet God makes it very clear in the Bible that we aren't suppose to!! But being human, it's almost like it's ingrained in us. It's a tactic Satan feasts on. And yet, although we know how worry makes us feel, we still can't pull away from it. (HOWEVER, If you ARE one of those people who can completely flush worry out of your system, I CONGRATULATE you)!
*Here's a hiccup in my story.. I was looking for the verse I'm about to tell you... and in looking, John MacArthur popped up! If you have not heard of him, you should google him. Here's the verse coming from the 4 part sermon he taught on The Elements Of Joy:
Well, if you already don't know this.. which I hope you do... It Is So Very Hard To Keep That Jerk From Trying To Steal Your Joy!! And yet, when it all comes down to it, whose decision is it whether or not our joy is robbed and replaced by worry, anger, sadness, or fear? It is ours! It is our decision. The thing I can't understand is... I know how hard it is to keep from worrying... I know how hard it was for me to lose that nick name... and how hard it is for me to maintain this "less" worry life I'm trying to live, but how can someone NOT ever struggle with worry? We are God's children, imperfect in every way. But because Christ died for us, we are cleansed from sin. We are cleansed from worry, anxiety, and fear. We may struggle with it, but God knows His children, He knows their struggles, and yet He reminds us He is in control. We are to give up our struggles and hand them over to Him.
Joy is having accepted Christ into your heart. Joy is developing a relationship with our loving Father through Christ. Joy is knowing we can come to God for anything; we can give up all our troubles and struggles; we can trust Him and put all our Faith in Him alone. So when worry enters my young mind, I am reminded, God is in control. Technically the question to be asking here is: Are you willing to accept that God is in control? If you are, then maintaining a "less worry" life shouldn't be as difficult. On the other hand, if you struggle with accepting this fact, pray. What is holding you back? What is keeping you from putting all your Faith, Hope, and Trust in your Creator, your Heavenly Father?
Now for a few laughs, MY WORRIES:
1) I was afraid to raise my hand in class in elementary school because my middle finger is taller than the rest (like everyone else's is) and I was afraid that I was telling God that I hated Him. NOT TRUE!!
2) I was afraid if I had a "perfectly" good day that that meant I was going to die or the world was going to come to an end the very next day.
3) I went through a phase where I was afraid Jesus was not in my heart because I couldn't feel Him. (So I asked Him in every night for several weeks).
4) I was afraid I'd die in a car wreck at 16, so I postponed getting my learner's permit and license.
5) I was worried that saying sorry to my parents (when I was much younger) was never good enough whenever I had done something wrong, so I'd bring them my piggy bank in repentance.
*Note to my parents: these worries were of no reflection on ya'll. These just identify the odd struggles I'd somehow developed along the way as I know you both remember having to help me surpass these pointless anxieties.
Now if that didn't make ya'll laugh.. well... I just hope it did!
And as usual... the Bible verses for today are (drum roll please)...
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4:6
"My heart exalts in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed there is no one besides Thee, not is there any rock like our God." -1 Samuel 2:1-2
*Here's a hiccup in my story.. I was looking for the verse I'm about to tell you... and in looking, John MacArthur popped up! If you have not heard of him, you should google him. Here's the verse coming from the 4 part sermon he taught on The Elements Of Joy:
"Your adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8
Well, if you already don't know this.. which I hope you do... It Is So Very Hard To Keep That Jerk From Trying To Steal Your Joy!! And yet, when it all comes down to it, whose decision is it whether or not our joy is robbed and replaced by worry, anger, sadness, or fear? It is ours! It is our decision. The thing I can't understand is... I know how hard it is to keep from worrying... I know how hard it was for me to lose that nick name... and how hard it is for me to maintain this "less" worry life I'm trying to live, but how can someone NOT ever struggle with worry? We are God's children, imperfect in every way. But because Christ died for us, we are cleansed from sin. We are cleansed from worry, anxiety, and fear. We may struggle with it, but God knows His children, He knows their struggles, and yet He reminds us He is in control. We are to give up our struggles and hand them over to Him.
Joy is having accepted Christ into your heart. Joy is developing a relationship with our loving Father through Christ. Joy is knowing we can come to God for anything; we can give up all our troubles and struggles; we can trust Him and put all our Faith in Him alone. So when worry enters my young mind, I am reminded, God is in control. Technically the question to be asking here is: Are you willing to accept that God is in control? If you are, then maintaining a "less worry" life shouldn't be as difficult. On the other hand, if you struggle with accepting this fact, pray. What is holding you back? What is keeping you from putting all your Faith, Hope, and Trust in your Creator, your Heavenly Father?
Now for a few laughs, MY WORRIES:
1) I was afraid to raise my hand in class in elementary school because my middle finger is taller than the rest (like everyone else's is) and I was afraid that I was telling God that I hated Him. NOT TRUE!!
2) I was afraid if I had a "perfectly" good day that that meant I was going to die or the world was going to come to an end the very next day.
3) I went through a phase where I was afraid Jesus was not in my heart because I couldn't feel Him. (So I asked Him in every night for several weeks).
4) I was afraid I'd die in a car wreck at 16, so I postponed getting my learner's permit and license.
5) I was worried that saying sorry to my parents (when I was much younger) was never good enough whenever I had done something wrong, so I'd bring them my piggy bank in repentance.
*Note to my parents: these worries were of no reflection on ya'll. These just identify the odd struggles I'd somehow developed along the way as I know you both remember having to help me surpass these pointless anxieties.
Now if that didn't make ya'll laugh.. well... I just hope it did!
And as usual... the Bible verses for today are (drum roll please)...
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4:6
"My heart exalts in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed there is no one besides Thee, not is there any rock like our God." -1 Samuel 2:1-2
Thanks, Sara. It's always good to be reminded!
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