I can still picture my Grandma Helen, sitting in her blue swivel chair, with that “trademark” look of worry on her face. Sometimes, as she did the dishes, I could hear her whisper aloud the concerns of her heart. And, as I think about it now, I know she had legitimate reasons to worry. She was raised in a time in history when life was tough. She experienced the traumatic deaths of two children within the same year, suffered through seasons of poverty, and dealt with many hardships that I would find difficult to fathom. It seemed that she was destined to worry from the beginning.
What worries you most?
I’ve asked that question of numerous women throughout the years, and the top three are almost always the same.
- Health and wellbeing
- Finances
- The salvation of loved ones
Because we live in a fallen world that includes death and disease, we cannot always avoid medical issues or health scares. We may go in for a routine exam, only to be called back with questionable results. Or, one of our children is diagnosed with a condition that keeps us pacing the hallways at night. Perhaps, a scary diagnosis rocks our world and changes everything. We wonder how we will pay those medical bills, or purchase that much needed car, or even find a sustainable job. And, most worrisome of all, is the knowledge that a loved one doesn’t believe in Jesus. It leaves us with such heartache; we would do almost anything to change it.
Whew! There really is a lot to worry about, eh Sisters?
But God…
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV)
The action words Jesus spoke in this part of the Sermon on the Mount are the exact actions we can take to overcome worry in our lives!
Key 1: Look at the birds of the air…
Viewing creation alone, assures us that God truly is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider.
Key 2: Consider the lilies of the field…
The beauty in which God clothes the flowers of the field is an amazing testimony of how He longs to clothe us.
Key 3: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…
When we search for Him as for a hidden treasure and long for His righteousness, (Jesus), everything else we need will be given to us as well.
Look, consider, and seek…the three keys to effectively dealing with what worries us most. Isn’t our God brilliant?
Dear one, let me encourage you today. From one worrier to another, please hear my heart on this subject. Worry is a time waster, a distraction, and a way for the enemy to render us ineffective for Christ. In fact, as I wrote in my book Prayer Worrier: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, if we were to measure the days, weeks, and months of our worry, I’m afraid it would circle the earth…twice!
My Grandma Helen had legitimate things to worry about, just as you and I do, but it’s how we handle those concerns that matter. Today, when those worries press in, like they always do, step outside for a moment and look. Look at the birds and how they fly here and there, gathering what they need. Consider the wildflowers—the ones that don’t get watered by a sprinkler system—and see how bright and beautiful they are. Then, resolve to turn those worries into prayer, as you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. And be amazed at how the things that worry you most are covered by His amazing love.
What worries you most? I would love to hear your heart on this issue. Send me an email and connect at encouragementmama@gmail.com or www.jenniferwaddleonline.com
