Confessions of a Worry Wort...

We've all had it. That tight feeling in the pit of your stomach. The lack of appetite or the increase there of, the unusual grouchy moods, and the overwhelming disgusting feeling. I think you all know what I'm talking about. And no, it isn't PMS, it's stress! Stress, hmm, just the word makes my skin tingle. But something I realized lately is that the underlying root of stress is worry. And worry is a result of two things. 1) A lack of trust in God and 2) A lack of contentment.

Worry comes in all shapes and forms. Sometimes it's with a job, school, physical health, friends, bad situations, relationships, time management, the future, the past, and the present. All of these ring true for me. And sometimes, it wears you out. Sometimes it's hard to fight your demons. So a song that says, "Don't worry, be happy," may be easy to sing, but not so easy to actually live on a day-to-day basis. Especially if you think you're doing it alone. But the key is to remember that you're not. You've got one heck of a powerful God on your side.

Worry is the opposite of trusting God. But the energy we spend on worrying can be put into much better use-prayer. Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In fact, Jesus even calls us out on it in Matthew 6:25-34. From this passage we learn that worry is futile. God knows what you need and if He cares for the flowers and the birds, He will surely care of you. Worry is a sign of disbelief. Jesus says the mark of the unbeliever's lifestyle is worry over the necessities of life. Believers know better than to worry about such things.

Because the fact of the matter is when you worry, you don't trust. And any couple will tell you that trust is crucial to a relationship. The same is true for God. When you worry about a situation, you take it out of God's hands and put it in your own again. There's a reason 1 Peter 5:7 exists people! "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

This principle I learned from the kids in the nursery. The last time I worked one of the little boys came up to me and was borderline tears. He told me his truck was "broked" because the wheel had snapped off. I told him I could fix it if he would let me see it. Now, I don't know if it's because he has four older brothers at home, or if its just his stubborn will, but he would not hand over the truck. I told him I couldn't fix it if he wouldn't give it up. The same is true for us and God. So, why don't we give up our anxieties? Do we really not trust the most powerful, majestic, and awesome God to be able to handle it? How offending! After all, Christ has already carried our burdens. He did so on the cross! Who are we to limit Him?

The second reason we worry is because we really aren't entirely content in Christ as we should be. And it is important to remember that contentment is a learned process. Even Paul notices this. Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." It's a work in progress, but you must start. Paul's secret to being content in every circumstance was that he drew his contentment from his relationship with Christ and not his relationship with circumstances. Good thing too, because he certainly faced enough trials with prison, angry mobs, snake bites, etc. That's some serious depression my friends. Things change. Circumstances change. We change. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And He is peace.

But we need to realize that Christ is more than enough. You can survive without nice clothes, cars, food, even friends. But you MUST have Christ. It's like Rick Warren once said, "Life without Christ is a hopeless end. But with Him it is an endless hope!" And here I take a lesson from one of my favorite disney villians Jafar. At one point in the movie (I think it's the second one Return of Jafar) he tells Aladdin, "There are things so much worse than death." And it's true. Hell is worse than death. I would rather die, than be eternally separated from God. Because that is the worst thing that can happen to you. Disease, starvation, dying- those things are only physical. When this world ends, so will they. But God is a spiritual being. He transcends all time, all states. And there is GREAT encouragement in the fact that if He is with you, you can get through anything. "And if our God is for us, than who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, than what could stand against?"

We don't need to worry about anything because we have it all. God is EVERYTHING to us. And He is the provider. The Bread of Life, The Living Water, the Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor. I'm good! And as we begin to understand God and grow in our relationship with Him, we begin to grasp at how Beautiful, and Majestic, and Holy He is. I'm only starting to realize what an AWESOME God we serve. And that fact gives me joy I didn't even imagine was possible!

And when compared to our LORD, every trial, and every worry pales in comparison. It's like one of my favorite songs says, "When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are, and how great Your affections are for me. Oh, how He loves us oh, oh how He loves us. How He loves us all."