Monday October 17 2016  DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW

It seems as if there are a lot of things to worry about in today’s world, just as I am certain it must have been in all the time periods in which we didn’t live.  Do you know some worriers?  Perhaps you are one yourself? 

The Siri definition of worry from my iPhone is: “ give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles; cause to feel anxiety or concern; cause annoyance to.  NOUN: a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.”

The key words in the above definition are actual or potential problems.  The real problem being that there are probably fewer worries that are actual problems and more  worries that are only potential problems, but regardless, whether they are actual or potential, when you worry about either, worry has the same affect on the worrier.  I have known, and still do know a few people who I would describe as chronic worriers.  This scenario reminds me of a story I heard a preacher tell.  The preacher had a friend who was a chronic worrier and his worrying caused havoc on his health and well being.  After not seeing his friend for many months he realized that when they were together he noticed something was different about him.  His friend no longer worried.  The preacher man asked his friend how he overcame his worry problem.  His friend told him that he had hired a “professional worrier”.  This impressed the preacher man as he had never heard of this before but he could see that it had made a great difference in his friend’s demeanor, outlook, and mental health.  His friend went on to elaborate that it was quite expensive though.  He told his friend that it cost him $100,000.  Whew! That was a big sum the preacher man replied.  He said how are you going to pay for it?  His friend replied, “Oh, I just let him worry about it”.

If it were just that simple it would be great!  But to those that I know who are chronic worriers I somehow don’t think it would be as simple as the “joke” above portrayed.  One of those worriers was my mother.  She probably worried most of her life about something but I was only aware of it during the night.  The more she worried, the more she prayed.  I would hear her in the night praying and crying, mostly about her children.  To an eight, nine and ten year old (which I was during that time) it caused that worry to transfer to me.  I believe it was because of that, that as an adult I always had to prepare for the worst “just in case”.  Food was scarce when I was a child and I knew this was a worry to her as well, so as I set up household I always needed to have my cupboards full, even to the point of hoarding.  As I look back I can see how traits are handed down, both genetically and environmentally.  I was not the only one in my family that this was passed on to, but it is only my story I am telling here.  I won’t mention names.  All I know, it was a long term issue with me and it was only resolved in my life when I finally faced the issue head on as the Lord took me on a year long journey to help me become victorious over the seed of worry that had been implanted in me as a child.

It is probably a certainty that on occasions everyone worries about something.  If you have children worry is probably more prevalent than to those who are not parents.  Sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me because I have so fully given up worrying.  It is an awesome place to be in one’s life.  Am I concerned about certain issues?  Yes, of course I am.  But the difference between worry and concern is that worry will not change the future one iota.  Concern is looking at the aspects of the situation, preparing ahead of time what needs to be done, (like having legal documents such as wills, power of attorney, that sort of thing in place) or just stewing about what could happen in situations of which you have no control.  I don’t encourage people to put their head in the sand and just simply not care about anything, rather, give whatever may be causing the worry into the hands of God.  That is what I learned to do.  There is not much I have control over.  So, rather than worry, I choose to give God praise, show gratitude for all I have, regardless much or little, put my children’s lives in God’s hands, and know that whoever is elected in this presidential election, that God is the one in whom I put my trust.  Regardless who is elected our country is in dire straits.  We could have war, upheaval, market crashes, terrorist attacks, and lose our freedoms if we go to a one world government.  Is there cause to be concerned?  Yes.  Is there cause to worry?  That’s for you to answer.

Ask yourself, will worrying make one bit of difference in the outcome, except to rob you of peace of mind?  When we finally learn to live in the present, knowing God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, and that He is for us, why must we then worry?  If you know where you are headed after your earthly body dies, then there is nothing to worry about.  It is God who is all knowing, is everywhere at once, and who is the deity with unlimited power and able to do anything and I AM GOD’S CHILD.  It was only then that I totally understood and embraced the knowledge that as A CHILD OF GOD, I no longer needed to worry.

If you do not know God in a personal way, rather than worry about what might happen to your eternal soul, give your life to God through the acceptance of His Son’s sacrifice, who loved you so much that he died so your sins would be forgiven.  When you are forgiven and live your life with the Lord dwelling in you, you will no longer need to worry where your eternal soul will live.  I’m not willing to take the chance that I might be wrong about salvation.  If there is no afterlife, I will have lost nothing.  However, if I am right and those who do not believe in God’s eternal salvation are destined to live for an eternity in hell, then I’ll certainly be rejoicing for having made the decision to live for God.  I choose not to worry about it!  I’m quite certain where I am going.  I’ve just experienced too many miracles while here on earth to negate God.  

“Man is choice, man is total choice, when man chooses not to choose, he has chosen.” (I do not know where this quote originates but it is not my original thought).

 

 

TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF

Kathleen Martens

October 17, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

Worry is like a disease

That consumes from the inside out.

Furrowed brows and etched lines

Silent worry shouts.

 

Worry is not a help

To all of life’s woes,

It only consumes precious hours

To those caught in its throws.

 

How you look or who you are

Or what color your skin,

It is not worry that changes things

Rather deep inside change begins.

 

When you have no control

But spend hours of stifling sorrow,

What will happen happens

So don’t borrow from tomorrow.

 

Every day is so precious,

No amount of worry will add life.

Enjoy each moment that God gives you,

Rather than swim in worry’s strife.

 

Whatever your need may be,

Put your faith in God alone.

Turn to Him and lay down your pain,

God can take away worry’s moan.

 

Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness

And God will take care of His own,

He will instill peace and joy

As you worship at His throne.

 

Therefore, no need to worry.

Tomorrow is in God’s hands.

And tomorrow will worry about itself,

While in God’s presence you stand.

 

Thank You God for Your Scripture.

Thank You Lord for Your promise to take care of Your children.

Thank You for supplying all of my needs. 

Thank You Father that I can daily give my cares to You.

 

Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU.