Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?….And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?….But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:25, 27, 33-34
Worrying can become a way of life. It can debilitate us or cause us to become hyperactive; it can harm our health and relationships; it can bring us to a point of faithlessness. To worry unceasingly about the future is not helpful or healthy. Instead it is better to live today the way we would like our future to be. Therese of Lisieux wrote in the 19th century: “We get discourage and feel despair because we brood about the past and the future. It is such folly to pass one’s time fretting, instead of resting quietly on the heart of Jesus.”
There are many things in life that we cannot control nor change. But we can place our trust in the God that is in charge of this world; that is even now working within our hearts, as well as in the world. Turning one’s worries over to God may seem to be a naive of dealing with them, but doing so can bring about a good night’s sleep and a renewed faith in a faithful and loving God.
Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933) was the son of freed blacks, a self-taught pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the writer of gospel hymns. He wrote in his hymn “Courage My Soul:”
Courage my soul, and let us journey on,
Though the night is dark it won’t be very long.
Thanks be to God, the morning light appears,
And the storm is passing over, Hallelujah!
Think about these questions: What am I worrying about today? How can I handle these and mo other worries in a less stressful way? How have I experienced God’s care in my life in the past? What must I do to control my worrying ad fussing?
As you continue on your Lenten journey pray with me: Dear God, help me develop a way of turning my worries over to you, so that we both can work on them. Thank you for your care in the past and the assurance of your continued presence with me on my journey of life. Amen
Joyce D. Sohl, Laywoman-in-Residence
