Maybe worry isn't all bad

I’ve been a little worried lately. OK, maybe more than a little. I admit it. Does that diminish my faith? I used to think so, but I don’t anymore.

Maybe worry isn’t all bad, at least for a bit.

But wait. Doesn’t the Bible tell us not to worry? It absolutely does. Scan the Psalms, Proverbs, or the New Testament words of Christ, and you will find tons of examples that say, “do not worry” (or “fret not” in older versions). 

Maybe worrying isn't all bad.

 

But we do worry sometimes, don’t we?

I don’t think our worrying surprises God at all. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had a lot to say about worries (see Matthew 6:25-34).  The Lord was fully aware that people would worry about life, food, clothing, and other daily concerns. He knew we would be concerned about our families, our friends, and the future. And He offered assurance.

Here’s an example:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

What worries rob you of your rest?

Maybe you face financial struggles, a troubling medical diagnosis, or a difficult relationship. Perhaps you are a parent, concerned about your kids. You may be disturbed by political, social, legal, or criminal crises.

I’m not talking here about ongoing clinically diagnosable anxiety disorders, panic attacks, or phobias, although I believe God can make a difference for us all. For the purposes of this post, I’m fighting in faith with the kind of periodic worries that tend to plague us during stressful seasons of life.

So I have to admit I have done a fair amount of fretting lately. But I don’t want to stay there indefinitely.

What happens when we camp out in fret-land?

Don’t we become restless? We lose sleep. We carry an extra emotional burden, until we give it over to God. It feels like we are carrying backpacks filled with heavy emotional rocks. That’s what the Apostle Peter was talking about, when he reassured believers about God’s care for us.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)

Peter didn’t say, “Give all your worries and cares to God, if you ever happen to have any of those.” He assumed we would. But he pointed us to the answer.

Paul offered similar advice, including a hopeful note about how God can bring wholeness and peace to settle us down in our most worried seasons.

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7. MSG)

God invites us to bring our concerns to Him, rather than brooding endlessly over them. And He doesn’t judge us when we come to Him with a big pile of worry rocks. It’s how we demonstrate our faith, declaring our trust in His care.

“Our Lord, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us, and you won’t let us fall.” (Psalm 55:22, CEV)

When we pitch our tents in the valley of worry, our thoughts tend to race ahead, uphill in every direction. We toss and turn in our beds. We grow distracted and anxious. We reload our backpacks with those stinking stones of stress. The King James Bible describes this so well, but includes a sweet description of how our loving God can bring us comfort in this distress.

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19, KJV)

I love that. Lately, I have had a multitude of thoughts whirling in my head, especially in the wee hours of the night. But I am aiming to take those thoughts captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:5) and give them to God. Often, I find that I have to do that again and again and again. But I believe that process drives us to deeper faith.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV)

So maybe worry isn’t all bad. If worry makes us care more and serve more and pray more, then maybe it can be a catalyst for change. Maybe it can lead us closer to the One who stands outside time and knows the future and truly loves us. Perhaps worry can lead us to genuine peace.

That’s no platitude, because it’s a gritty process.

In the meantime, I’m wrestling with worry. I want to become a prayer warrior, even though I know warriors are made in battles, not bliss. And freedom often comes after a fight.

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from public domain artwork

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25. Genuine thankfulness is ongoing – 30 days of thankful Scriptures

I’m a multi-tasker by nature. Maybe that goes with the territory of parenting – at least, for moms. It’s not that I’m easily distracted (although I certainly can be). It’s just that I tend to juggle several tasks and topics at once.

But the Bible talks about praying constantly and worshipping the Lord throughout each of our days. Here’s an example from the Psalms:

“In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.” (Psalm 44:8, KJV)

Bible commentators don’t usually identify the writer of Psalm 44. It might have been King David, or it may have been another author. Either way, the one who penned those words (inspired by God) knew plenty about practicing gratitude to the Lord.

Oh, how I want that fine of a focus for Him – all day long.

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Rabbit trail time: Reflecting on the restroom rumpus

Let’s talk about his and her restrooms for a moment.

Bear with me. As I write this, an ongoing debate is raging in the news and all over social networking. The whirlwind is all about washrooms provided by various businesses for public use. 

Only it’s not really about that – or, it’s not only about that.

When did the public restroom become a test-room for public policy and a cause for such unrest?

On the surface, the focus is on welcoming people of all kinds into the bathrooms of their choice, no matter what genders they are, have been, desire to be, or claim to be. But that's not the real issue.

One camp says the issue is about LGBT acceptance and freedom of gender identity. The other camp claims predators (of any gender or sexual persuasion) will seize upon this newfound lavatory liberty to fake their gender identities and harm others in bathrooms. (No one seems to be mentioning this much, but the new policies also include fashion fitting rooms in certain stores.)

I find it almost astonishing that bathrooms have become battlefields.

That’s how far our society has sunk. We’re fighting about restrooms. No one seems sure where this public potty policy (or commode controversy?) will lead, but it’s pretty clear we’ve all gone to pot.

I’m not aiming to plunge into this debate here or flush out raging comments from either camp. I just feel the need to state a few basic suggestions:

1. Parents, please accompany your own youngsters into bathrooms and fitting rooms. Whether potential predators are present or not, it’s a sound policy. There’s a reason plenty of people (even adults) don’t visit public restrooms alone anyway (except for one-seater bathrooms). Simply put, a public privy is seldom private.

2. Respectfully stating one’s position on matters of faith and ethics is important. Standing up for principles counts for plenty, and we should all do so with intelligence and compassion. A little research reveals this isn’t just a one-store policy. It’s possible to aim for a target, but still miss the mark. Instead of wondering what’s under someone else’s clothes, can we wrestle with what’s in our own hearts?

3. No matter what bathroom or fitting room you feel you fit, God wants to welcome you into His own household of faith. He loves you, and He invites you to enter His presence by His grace.

Maybe it’s time for believers to leave the toilet talk for a moment and step up in faith.

We need to approach the one and only holy throne of grace, interceding for our whole nation. Let’s call on the Almighty to turn hosts of hearts to Him. Let’s bring faith and grace and mercy and godly love out in the open and bring rest and refreshment to all those who need His living water – no matter which water closet they choose to visit.

We can, and we must. And it’s time.

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.”(Psalm 22:27-28, NIV)

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Restroom icon – adapted from public domain artwork

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