Weary of Worry

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 12:28

To-Do List

Broken modem

Family issues

Car trouble

Upcoming events

Christmas

Daily schedule

Expectations

Cycle of Worry  What keeps me from coming to Jesus?  My mind is easily distracted from Jesus, focusing instead on all the things I must do or on how I’m going to work out an unexpected problem, like a broken modem.  Instead of letting Jesus carry it for me, I work it over in my mind, exploring every possible angle until I come up with a solution.  Once a solution has been found, I analyze that solution over and over until I am sick to death of thinking about it and have added weariness on top of my burden.  Who will save me from this exhausting cycle?

Peace   Paul taught the believers at Philippi to “. . .not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)  How can I protect my mind from this endless cycle of thinking, rehashing and analysis?  By handing the thing over to God and trusting Him for the outcome.  It makes me think of a conversation that took place between Holocaust concentration camp survivor Corrie Ten Boom and her father before they were taken away by the Nazis.  She expressed her worry that she would not be able to handle whatever the future brought.  Her father asked her, “When do I give you your train ticket when we go on a trip?” 

She replied, “Right before I get on the train.” 

“And this is how it is with your Heavenly Father.  He gives you what you need at the time that you need it.” 

When I leave my problems in His hands, He will enable me to handle the situation and know the solution when the time for action comes.

Seek His Kingdom  When Jesus was teaching His disciples not to worry, he pointed to the rest of creation which trusts Him to provide for all of their needs.  Have you ever seen a worried bird?  Or flower?  But there are plenty of worried people.   The amazing human mind with it's astounding capacity for learning can also be used to worry: to think about something over and over again.   Jesus’ words as recorded in Luke 12:29-31 instruct us to act differently than those who do not have God to rely on.  “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”  It’s as if God is saying, “I got this!  You just do what I’ve instructed you to do, and I’ll take care of all that other stuff.”

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will leave my problems in God’s hands and trust Him for the solution.

How do I show my lack of trust in God by the way I handle situations?

When do I look like an unbeliever, running after the stuff I need?