All I Need

Today's subject is worry. Before starting here are some quotes I thought you might enjoy: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." - Corrie Ten Boom, Dutch woman whose family helped Jews to escape Nazi Germany, then became a prisoner in a concentration camp when caught. (By the way, if you haven't read her story, you should) "I am an old man, and have known many troubles. But most of them never happened." - Mark Twain - author and humorist Now for the best quotes: Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV): "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? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Whew! Long passage. But, if we were smart, we would memorize every word. Probably one of the most important things Jesus had to say to us. WORRY. So big Jesus felt it was important to devote this section of The Word to the subject. A lesson as vital today as it was back then. Chapter 4 of Max Lucado's "Fearless" is titled "Woe Be Gone - Fear of Running Out". Worrying about not having enough. Not enough to eat, drink,wear, talk on, look at, sit in, drive, live in, etc., etc. etc. This worry, I believe, has changed our society more dramatically than any other one thing. It has to do with another "w" word ---WANT. We WORRY because we WANT. When I was a young mother, I had people in my life who just infuriated me about the issue of my being a working mom. One person in particular kept telling me that my working was a choice, made because we wanted a lot of things, and if I was really serious about wanting to stay home with my children it could be done. Well, I didn't think that was possible, and at times I'm certain it wasn't. Looking back, I wonder if there wasn't an element of truth to that accusation. We probably could have done without a lot of what we had. I just don't know. In our society today, fear is rampant about our economic future. Will I have a job in 6 months? Will the economy tank and my retirement disappear? Will gas get so high I can't afford to drive at all? Braces for Annie? HOW MUCH???? Budget cutbacks and the threat of higher taxes drive worry to new levels. It almost makes some of us hysterical with worry. And worried individuals, filled with anxiety, become tyrants according to Lucado. We become angry, short with others, difficult marriage partners and parents, and pill-popping, smoking, drinking, and over-eating crazy people. An exaggeration? Maybe. But maybe not. I believe the world is more uncertain and scary than ever before. We have a lot we can worry about. I have worried a lot in my life. Constantly worried about money,jobs, what my kids needed, whether or not I would be able to pay everything. Lucado tells a story of his friend's child. She was having a hard time getting ready for school. She was in such a hurry that she tied her shoelaces in a knot. The bus was coming, she had to get going.......suddenly her hands began to shake and tears began to fall. She dropped her head and sobbed, apparently unaware that her father was standing right there ready to help. Kind of like we are, huh? We have all these worries, we become overwhelmed, ready to cry,yell,drink, fight, whatever.....and are apparently unaware that our Father is standing right there ready to help us. We are one request away from help. Lucado relates the story of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. The disciples were frantic, worried that they did not have enough food to feed all those who had come to hear Jesus. They were ready to quit before they started. But right beside them they had the Provider. The Problem Solver. The One who can annihilate worry with a single command. The One who could provide more than enough food for the 5,000 with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. Lucado gives us 8 worry stoppers, and some of them are really practical. They are: * Pray first, not last * Easy, now. Slow down. His scripture for this step is Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." Patience. Hmmmmm. Not my strong suit. * Act on it. Become a worry-slapper. When I first started staying by myself at night, every noise would scare me, some more than others. I finally decided, that no matter how scared I was, I would investigate each noise and find out what it was. Sometimes it was hard to do, but I did it. You know, in all these years, not one of those noises was an ax murderer? Not one! Acting on our fears takes the fear right out of it. * Compile a worry list. He suggests making a list of all the things you are worried about, then in a few days, look back on that list. How many of the things became reality? How many worries were valid? I'll bet you find the percentage to be very low. * Evaluate your worry catagories. What are your themes of worry? Finances, government, family? Pray about these catagories regularly. * Focus on today. God meets needs daily. Manna. Peace. Whatever it is we need for the day. * Unleash a worry army. Share your feelings with a few people you trust. Ask them to pray for you. * Finally, and MOST IMPORTANTLY in my mind, Let God be enough. Matthew 6:32-33 states, " Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (NLT)" Everything we need. That may not be the money, the financial security we want, the government stability we pray for. But the peace, the peace that passeth all understanding, the ability to remain calm in chaos, that He WILL provide. Trust me, coming from a person who ran on 3-4 hours of sleep most of her life because of worry. When I finally looked up and asked my Father to tie my tangled shoe laces, I gained that peace. Not a life free of things to worry about......but peace in chaos. And it is ALL I need.

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