Irrational Anxieties

Who of you by worrying can add a single day to his life? Matthew 6:27

People spend so much of their time worrying they forget all of the blessings God has poured into their lives. Even as I write this I am being distracted by random worries in my life and it’s making writing this blog last for at least an hour, when it would only take me maybe 15 minutes if I’d just focus.

How often do we lay awake in bed worrying about something we can’t control, and then it turns out to be just fine? I had a serious problem with this when I was younger to the point that I would miss entire nights of sleep because I was worried about something that might happen the next day. This kind of worry plagued me for years until one small little gesture from my Mom ended it almost entirely, and still continues to help me to this day. My mother sat me down and walked me through the past few months and all the things I laid awake in bed worrying about and she pointed out how no matter how bad those things seemed at the time everything worked out for the best. (Without any training in the field of Psychology, I swear she’s still a better Psychologist than me)

She then handed me one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me. All it was was a little framed sign that said “Dear Isaiah, I have everything under control. Love, Jesus” Every night I would start to worry I would simply look at that sign and know that everything would be just fine.

Truth is my worry was simply a lack of faith in God. I was bold enough to unconsciously tell myself that my problems were too big for God to handle.

I’m here today to let you know that your problems are nothing compared to the God who created this entire Universe, the God who created everyone of us and knows us better than we know ourselves. He intimately loves us individually and knows what’s best for us in the long run.

I’m glad God doesn’t let everything go by our plans, because then we can’t take credit for it. If everything went the way we wanted it to we might be tempted to take pride in it as if we made it happen, so when God changes our plans unexpectedly just let that be a little reminder as to who is in control.

We have also been given this little tool called prayer. Jesus told us in Matthew 7:7-11

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

A friend of mine today pointed out to me that when one of our plans doesn't go the way we expected our first instinct is to think or worry about it. Thinking isn’t necessarily bad but, what our first reaction should be is to lift our problem up to God.

We’ve been giving an amazingly powerful tool and we should use it. God doesn’t want us to pray because it helps Him in anyway.. He’s God.. He doesn’t need help. He wants us to pray because it’s good for us.

So as you go about your days and you plans fail over and over again, just simply praise God that you aren’t in control and He is. Then lift your problems up to Him because He can handle them.