Matthew 6:27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
The following statistics were published in a business magazine. Stress management experts say that only 2% of our ‘worrying time’ is spent on things that might actually be helped by worrying. The figures below illustrate how the other 98% of this time is spent:
40% on things that never happen
35% on things that can’t be changed
15% on things that turn out better than expected
8% on useless, petty worries
So honestly, take my advice: ‘Hakuna matata!’ That’s right: ‘Ain’t no worries for the rest of your days. It’s a problem free philosophy, hakuna matata!’ Jesus repeatedly tells us not to worry – three times in Matthew 6 alone – be it worries about food, clothing, or the future. He doesn’t belittle our problems but he calls us deeper into trust. Worries can be transformed into opportunities to grow as we hand them over to God in prayer.
Otherwise, worry becomes the darkroom in which negative thoughts can develop; and as Corrie Ten Boom put it: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of sorrow; but it empties today of strength.” Away with stress, in with serenity! And I’m preaching that to myself. I have plenty to get stressed about. I have several hundred people whose very livelihood and families look to me. There is huge pressure involved. But God is Jehovah Jireh, I am not!
One thing I do when I’m stressed might work for you. When I come home, I consciously touch my ‘worry tree’ – could be any old tree, bush, or anything else for that matter – before entering the house. I pray and leave my worries on that tree. That way I can be free to enjoy the family. And then you know what? When I come back out the next morning to pick up those worries again, usually they’re not quite as heavy. Could that work for you? Just an idea.
Lord, I choose today to cast all my anxieties on you, because you care for me. Amen! (1 Peter 5:7)
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