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HE WORKS ALL THINGS FOR GOOD
'Do not worry...' Matthew 6:31
'Don't worry, be happy!' isn't always the most practical piece of advice. But imagine if we could actually exterminate worry from our minds, completely. It must be possible for us not to worry, because it's a command from Jesus ('Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life' - Matthew 6:25 NIV) And God doesn't set us up to fail. Quite the opposite - in these sorts of things, He sets us up to be conquerors. So here's a practical step to help you along. If we're going to quit our worrying, we can't just leave a gaping hole where worry has been.
The secret is to replace it with God's Word and turn our worries into prayers. If you've said or done something that you really regret and wish you hadn't, what should you do? The answer is to pray for forgiveness, while trusting that God can work all things for good. He promises to do that, and also to help you learn from it. He's clever like that! For example, if you're worried about having said something you shouldn't, instead of letting your worries tumble on and on all day, pray that God will prepare that person's heart for the next time you see them, and ask that it can be mended. You'll come out of it all a wiser person, and you might even get a better friendship out of it.
What now? Straightforward - turn worry into prayer. How you can make this habit stick? Ask for advice from an older Christian you trust.
written by Bob Gass
'Do not worry...' Matthew 6:31
'Don't worry, be happy!' isn't always the most practical piece of advice. But imagine if we could actually exterminate worry from our minds, completely. It must be possible for us not to worry, because it's a command from Jesus ('Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life' - Matthew 6:25 NIV) And God doesn't set us up to fail. Quite the opposite - in these sorts of things, He sets us up to be conquerors. So here's a practical step to help you along. If we're going to quit our worrying, we can't just leave a gaping hole where worry has been.
The secret is to replace it with God's Word and turn our worries into prayers. If you've said or done something that you really regret and wish you hadn't, what should you do? The answer is to pray for forgiveness, while trusting that God can work all things for good. He promises to do that, and also to help you learn from it. He's clever like that! For example, if you're worried about having said something you shouldn't, instead of letting your worries tumble on and on all day, pray that God will prepare that person's heart for the next time you see them, and ask that it can be mended. You'll come out of it all a wiser person, and you might even get a better friendship out of it.
What now? Straightforward - turn worry into prayer. How you can make this habit stick? Ask for advice from an older Christian you trust.
written by Bob Gass
