Don't worry -- be happy!

Yesterday, we studied these verses, and saw that Jesus told us not to worry. He told us that our heavenly Father values us even more than the birds -- and he cares for and looks after the birds. Let's continue our focus on the passage:

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Jesus continues His lesson to all of us by pointing out just how futile worry is.... there is absolutely no benefit. It doesn't change anything! Except, of course, our health and our disposition..... worry can affect the circulation, our heart, our nervous system, and more. And since we are consumed with thoughts of worry, we can't be as useful. We can't accomplish much when we are wound up tighter than an old-timey clock spring. It even affects the way we react and interact with others -- we can be downright cranky, and worry does a great job of robbing us of our joy in the Lord.

"Futile" is defined as "completely ineffective, serving no useful purpose." I believe that is what Jesus meant here: can we add a single hour to our lives by worrying? Nope. In fact, it's wasting the precious hours that God has given us!
This points back to the difference that we mentioned yesterday, between worry and concern. Concern is putting "legs" on your worries, and actually doing things that may improve outcomes. And after we do those things, make those plans, our next step is to pray; our next step should be to ask God to take the weight of our worries off our shoulders.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Have we ever had the experience of worry literally weighing us down? Have we felt like our chest was constricted, we had so much stress? Now, here's a better question.....have we prayed, and then felt like God took that weight away from us?
Honestly, I have.
Maybe you have, too.
I've prayed and poured my heart out to God, and felt the weight was gone afterward. Sometimes it doesn't happen instantly, but it happens. That's because we have given up on our worry; we've tossed aside the idea that we can make the outcome be what we want; we've connected with our Father and been assured that He cares. I would go so far as to say that the times I have felt that much stress are the times that I've gone to Him and realized that something was wrong.... that I'd not been in the Word like I should have been, or I've not been honest with Him in prayer.
Sound familiar to anyone?

I have a great way to keep us from making these same mistakes as often. We need to have "ammo." We need ammunition to keep Satan from trapping us with worry.....

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,    a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you,    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:9-10)

But I trust in your unfailing love;    my heart rejoices in your salvation. (Psalm 13:5)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)

These are just a few of the verses that can help. I'm sure that you have others that have comforted and blessed you, as well. Ammunition like this can help us to ward off the darts of Satan.

Perhaps we have prayed and not felt the weight removed from our shoulders. Could it be that we've not left our problems in His hands? I'm a visual learner, and sometimes images truly help me remember concepts...... my granddaddy first took me fishing when I was a little shaver; I'm guessing I must have been about five or six years old. I couldn't wait to go fishing! I'd seen pictures of my smiling granddad holding bass and crappie that he had caught -- I was going to catch some, too! I was so excited that I must have been really fidgety. I remember that he handed me a bamboo rod, and patiently practiced with me to get the line swung "just right." The bobber plunked quietly into the water, and sat motionless. In a few seconds, I was pulling it back in.
He watched me, smiling, as I swung the bobber and baited hook out again. A few seconds later, I was pulling it in. He asked me why I was pulling it back in so soon after casting it onto the water. I told him that I hadn't caught anything, so I just knew there were no fish there.
He explained to me that I needed to leave the bait, hook, and bobber where they were. Don't be in such a rush to pull it back in, he said. You won't get any results. (Apparently, in my six year old mind, I thought that the fish would instantly swallow the baited hook and our fishing trip would be over, a success!)

In the same way, we must leave our worries with God in prayer. We can't tell our Father about them, and then when we finish praying, grab them back up into our own hands! We must leave them there with Him. Another visual image that has helped me in my prayer life comes from my years of quilting.....wrapping someone in a quilt that you have made for them is a wonderful, warm, loving embrace. I've imagined wrapping my loved one in a quilt, and carrying them to the foot of the cross. I've laid my precious one down, and then watched (in my mind) my hands patting the quilt and then letting go. Then I make myself visualize that I'm backing away from the cross, leaving my loved one there at Jesus' feet.
You see, concern means I've done things to help that person. And then I've prayed and left it in His hands. Worry would mean that I lifted my loved one up from the foot of the cross, and carried them away.
I hope that some of these images have resonated with anyone who has a weight of worry on their shoulders. Remember, God loves us, and cares for us, and wants the best for us.....He's got this!