Worry: It does not add to you
Good day, wonderful people! If this is your first time ‘stumbling’ across my blog, welcome! I hope you learn about life and God’s faithfulness amid adversity. A happy Mother’s Day to all my female readers and subscribers! I hope you were well-pampered. To my warrior dudes, I trust that you treated your mum or the lady in your life to some wonderful experience. If not, well, there is a next time.
A Busy Weekend
Mother’s Day weekend was busy!!!! Yep… (what else is new in my life?) My husband and I are in ministry. We co-pastor a parish of Fountain of Grace Church. On Saturday the 12th, the women’s group in our parish hosted a Women’s Breakfast. It was our very first and it was successful. We prayed and activated God’s gifts within and we fellowshipped with a 7-course brunch!
On Sunday proper, I had to cater to 400 people and also preach. I had help! I am NO superwoman! Every Mother’s Day, I am asked to preach as the pastor’s wife. My message was taken from one of Jesus’ teaching on the Mount: Anxiety and Worry. If you are wondering if Jesus ever spent time on this topic, turn your Bible to Mathew 6:25-33. I love Mathew 6 because Christ gave us some blueprint for daily living.
The Burden of Worry
He gave us nuggets on how to give to the needy, how to pray, how to fast, and what we should stand for in terms of the treasures we lay, and then he caps it with the need not to worry. Life can be stressful. Some of us live in stressful situations and work in stressful conditions. It’s stress and worry all over. We worry about life, bills, the kids, the future,…name it! Yet Christ admonishes us to leave the anxiety zone. He asks a critical question in verse 27: Which of you by worrying can add an inch to his or her life?
To worry is to give way to anxiety or unease. To worry is to allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. The truth about worrying is that it does not add anything to you but it takes a lot from you. One major thing worry robs you of is your ability to connect with God.
Consequences of Worry
It short-circuits your faith. By dwelling too much on your struggles and difficulties (whatever they may be) you are unconsciously telling God He is not faithful to His word. You open your heart wide open for doubt when you are worried sick. Once you are doubtful, you can pray right. Once you are doubtful, you become double-minded. The word of God clearly states that double-mindedness prevents us from receiving ANYTHING from God.
Excessive worrying can be crippling. My prayer for you is that you learn to cast your worries and burden on the Lord. If He cares for the birds of the air and lilies of the field, then you are covered because you are worth WAY MORE than them. Someone reading this might say ‘Easier said than done OEMA, the walls are closing up on me and I see no way of escape’. After you have done ALL you know to do, worrying included, I ask that you stand. But you can only stand when you are not anxious.
You need to change your perspective and stop worrying by focusing on God’s unwavering love for you. Let God be God. He will not suffer you more than you can bear.
I love you with all my heart. Shalom!
Hallelujah!