A few more thoughts on worrying...

        A few more thoughts on worry--prompted by this email from the SAT: "Help Peter Stress Less about the SAT!"
        Our youngest son recently signed up to take the SAT in March.  Ever since then, our inbox  has been barraged by daily emails from the SAT about all the varied and multiple ways to prepare for this herculean task of taking the SAT.  Emails with advice essentially ranging from "Here's what you have to do--and you better be doing it everyday."  Or "Are you taking the multi-hour practice test every week...or better yet everyday?"  Or "If your child isn't studying for the SAT at least three hours a day, you might as well kiss college goodbye."  Or "Mom--are you sure you took enough pre-natal vitamins when your child was in your womb? Did you read to him every night for at least an hour?  Did you make sure he never drank soft drinks or ate junk food?  If not, oh well.  Too late now.  it's time to start stressing and wringing your hands...even though this will be absolutely no help whatsoever." 
           Okay, I'm slightly exaggerating.  And I really appreciate the helpfulness of the SAT...so if anybody out there works for the SAT, thank you very much.  Truly...
         ...but oh my stars!  Do these high schoolers not already have enough stress in their lives?  If my son wasn't stressed before, he is now.  Or at least his mama surely is. 
          I share all this, because it's such a reminder of why worry is so counterproductive and deadly.  Jesus commands us, "Don't worry about your life...Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe the wildflowers of the field grow. They don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that's how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won't He do much more for you--you of little faith? So don't worry...But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.  Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mt.6:25-34)
           Over and over again, Jesus repeats the command--do not worry, do not worry, do not worry...because He well knows that we little dust creatures will worry!  Even though worrying does no good.  Even though it steals our peace and robs us of joy. Even though it harms our health.  Even though it betrays a refusal to trust God.
            When we're worrying, we're essentially saying, "I'm gonna trust in my worry rather than in my Almighty God."  Seriously.  Is our worrying really worthy of such trust?  NO!
           But if you're like slow-learning like yours truly, you have to be reminded of the truths you know, but forget. Yes, I just wrote about this, but think of this as a little booster shot of encouragement Not. To. Worry!
            So for all my fellow amnesiacs, here's our reminder--it's a battle of our minds.  Our thoughts!  We choose what thoughts we will dwell upon. Yes, fear is inevitable, but dwelling on that fear, churning that fear over and over in our minds in the form of our thoughts, that's our lousy choice.  And we can choose differently!
             Dallas Willard wrote, "The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we allow our minds to dwell upon.  It is in our thoughts that the first movements towards the renovation of the heart occurs.  Thoughts are the place where we can and must begin to change." 
            Change the meditation of your thoughts and change your heart and your life!  Choose to replace worrying thoughts with worshipping thoughts.  Anxious thoughts with trusting thoughts.  "What if" thoughts with "Then my Almighty God will..." thoughts.
            As J.B. Smith says, "God will always have the last word. So instead of worrying I will entrust my life to the good and beautiful and true God who reigns in the strong and unshakable Kingdom." 
            Yes and Amen!  Our all powerful, all wise, all loving, all good, all merciful, all gracious, all forgiving Almighty Lord REIGNS!  And we dwell in His strong and unshakable Kingdom.  So since He's totally, completely, eternally got it, we can rest and trust in Him. 
              SAT--no stress from you.  Or from wherever source worry is poking it's ugly head into your life right now.  Our God reigns.  We dwell in His strong and unshakable Kingdom.  And we will choose to rejoice and trust in Him. 
              To God be the glory.