“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Phil. 4:6
Paul presents an antidote to worry. Why don’t we follow it? Is it that we don’t believe God’s Word?
Time and again, someone has asked friends of mine to pray for a special need. Some of these requests include: the search for a bone marrow donor, a change of program format for a ministry of the church, guidance for a family situation that caused deep hurt, the healing for a son, the healing for a friend or a family member, or consolation after the loss of a loved one.
I once heard that when we worry we cause ourselves to erode from the inside out. This analogy continued to remind me of a tin can. It begins to rust because of its contents. The chemical reaction between what’s inside the can and the metal itself brings about weakness in the can and that vessel can no longer do what it was designed to do.
When we worry about something, a situation in our lives, a circumstance in a friend or loved one’s family, or an issue in our community or society, we set ourselves up for ulcers, digestive conditions, forms of arthritis-like symptoms, and other disorders.
When we pray about a need, we receive a peace or we feel the need to pray fervently and wait for God to work. We turn these vexations over to God who has all things under His control.
I had to learn this lesson in my adult lifetime. Have you had experiences where you kept something bottled up inside of you and didn’t turn it over to God?
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I am constantly learning to turn my concerns over to the Lord. I heard someone once say that we shouldn't look at how great our need or concern is, but at God and His ability to meet or take care of it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree... worry causes sickness, that must be why Jesus told us NOT to worry. I personally believe worry is a sin.
ReplyDeleteGood post Cecelia, thanks for sharing.
Karen:
ReplyDeleteThank you for this inspiring comment. We sometimes forget to look at events and conditions with God's eyes. Every mountain we see is just a mole hill to Him.
Marja:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful outlook and your comment. Yes, I also believe that worry is a sin. But I also we worry because we look at ourselves to solve issues and we should be looking to God.
Such truth here, Cecelia. I tend to go through seasons where I let my prayer life slide, and I always feel it in the higher anxiety level. And then I wonder why I let myself think I'm better off without. :)
ReplyDeleteSarah:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thought. I have done the same thing and asked myself the same question. I think it's a small part of our humanity.
That's such a good way to put it - eroding from the inside! Wow. It puts it in perspective, that's for sure. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteRhonda:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughts. Sometimes, I forget that picture of eroding from the inside. When I do, I have to pause and ask God to forgive me.
Right on! Our bodies were never meant to handle such negative emotions.
ReplyDeleteSusan:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thought. We forget that our bodies sometime go into 'overload' and we crash. He knows exactly what we can handle and will not put any more on us that that.
My experience with cancer, two years ago, taught me to turn everything over to God. When I had another cancer scare last fall, I faced the uncertainty with that "perfect peace that passeth all understanding." God is so good! He is able to shoulder all our burdens for us, so we needn't worry. He has it all under control.
ReplyDeleteJean:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wisdom. God blesses those who walk with Him.
Oh, yes, I have! Sometimes I'm not even aware that I've held onto something until the Holy Spirit shows me. Then I have to decide if I want to give it to Jesus, or allow it to keep corroding my heart.
ReplyDeleteJeanette:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. We all have times when we have issues that we are not aware of. God shows us those things in order that we can work them out with Him. I like the word "corroding."