Monday, December 12, 2016 

Topic: “Don’t Let Worry Win”

Verse for the Week: Romans 8:6 (NIV); “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace”

I recently met a young mom who is just transitioning to the tough terrain of single motherhood. She is working hard to provide for herself and her young family. What a blessing it was to meet her as she touched many in our program with her creativity and contagious energy.

Meeting her and hearing her story reminded me of a pivotal moment in my own experience when my world literally changed in a heartbeat. One moment my life was going along on a very pleasant and seemingly predictable path, then… Bam!—a deep crack split my universe in half and sent me spinning into the abyss of the unknown.

My heart tenders towards all of you, as I know even though the details of our circumstances are very different, we can all relate to this very isolating pain in one way or another. So if your pain is real and raw in this moment, take the time to feel it, honor it, and then give it over to God.

Giving our pain and our anger over to God seems like an impossible ask. I get it! It is way easier said than done. However, spiritual speaking it is an act of obedience. It is also an act of humility.

If we can humble ourselves when we are faced with the fear of the unknown, we can release the  devastating destruction that endless worry produces.

Worry produces tentacles of fear, intimidation, confusion, and insecurity that strangle the spiritual life-force within and keep us stuck in a cycle of negativity. This pattern of averse thinking makes it really hard to hear God’s voice, feel His presence, and sense His direction for our difficult situation.

The laundry list of things to worry about is endless. But when we get hit between the eyes with something that alters our way of life, we are faced with valid issues of how we will provide for our family and put food on the table. Those are huge, gut-wrenching worries. So what do we do with those?

The story of Peter walking on water (see Matthew 14:22-36) is a good example of how the outcome of our experience is directly affected by where we focus our thoughts.

After an amazing miracle of feeding the five thousand, Jesus sends the disciples across the Sea of Galilee while he stayed behind to pray alone. In the middle of the night, Jesus went to them, walking across the water and the waves.

Amazed by the sight of Jesus, Peter asks to join him in the miracle. Without hesitation, Peter steps out onto the water and engages in the miracle. But things quickly change when he takes his eyes off Jesus and allows the wind to alter his perspective.

This is a lesson for all of us. There’s no doubt about it, we are battle worn from our tough circumstances in this life. The winds and the waves crash fiercely in and out of our everyday lives and beg us to follow them down the rabbit hole of worry.

In the end, we have a choice to make. We can choose to let our thoughts entrap us in the cycle of worry, or we can choose to focus on the power and provision of Christ.

God has blessed us with freedom. The freedom to see the wind of adversity rip through our life, and yet, rise above the tempest storm as we focus our thoughts and our trust on the only one who can save us. This truly is a precious gift from God. One we should open daily, even when it’s hard to do so.

Because when we do, we will see these tough blows through the lens of faith. In turn, our attitude changes, our mood changes, and we change. We become better instead of bitter.

Not only that, we change others by offering hope to those watching in our spheres of influence—our family, friends, and co-workers. Faith in action is a chain reaction.

Let’s make a choice today to stay our mind on trusting more and worrying less. It will be a gift to you and all those around you.

Prayer:

Lord, when I am tempted to worry and control all the uncontrollable things in my life, help me to keep my eyes on you. Help me to see you in the storm and teach me how to trust you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect and Respond:

There are so many opportunities this time of year that invite us to worry. With Christmas around the corner, what are the worries that are stealing your joy, your peace, your ability to embrace the good God has for you and your family?

In this season of competitive gift-giving and over-the-top hospitality, let’s encourage each other to ditch the worry and follow hard after faith. Don’t let worry win. Let your focus stay on the one who truly holds the power to save.

Hugs for a great week and remember, you are not alone. Be blessed and choose faith.

Dori