Arthur Rank, an English executive, decided to do all his worrying on one day each week. He chose Wednesdays. When anything happened that gave him anxiety and annoyed his ulcer, he would write it down and put it in his worry box and forget about it until next Wednesday. The interesting thing was that on the following Wednesday when he opened his worry box, he found that most of the things that had disturbed him the past six days were already settled. It would have been useless to have worried about them.
Matthew 6:25
For this reason I say to you, *do not be worried about your *life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?[26] Look at the birds of the *air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than
Worry is the state of engaging in chains of thoughts and images of a negative and uncontrollable nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential.
To be worried is to disturb the peace of mind to afflict with mental agitation and stress.
The mind is the arena and playground for worry.
Many are the times I find myself worrying over money issues, rent school fees, debts and the like. I worry about my childrenç—´ future, I worry about the state of things in the nation but what I have realized is all that that does is eat up my time because my worrying changes nothing.
Worry is a negative emotion that always looks at the worst in every situation. Worry and faith cannot live together because faith always believes the best.
Like I said, the mind is the arena and playground for worry. We worry because our minds have not been renewed.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
What are you giving your mind to? Do you believe what the word of God says about you? God says that He will supply and meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. I know that it is easy to quote that when things are all rosy but we hardly remember that when we are in the midst of a storm. All the more reason for us to remind each other.
When you worry you accomplish nothing and besides it is not healthy either. Why worry about things that you cannot change?
Reminds me of an old Sunday school song we loved to sing
Why worry when you can pray, trust Jesus He knows the way don't be like doubting Thomas just lean upon His promise why worry worry worry worry when you can pray?
Are you worried? Lean upon this promise
Matthew 6:31-33
Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or, with what shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Instead of wasting time with worry build your faith by leaning on Gods promises.
One day a father decided to take his boy out in the field to fly a kite The boy was so overwhelmed as It was his first experience with kite flying. His father helped him, and after several attempts the kite was in the air. The boy ran and let out more string, and soon the kite was flying high. The little boy was so excited; the kite was beautiful. Eventually there was no more string left to allow the kite to go higher. The boy said to his father, "Daddy, let's cut the string and let the kite go; I want to see it go higher and higher."
His father said, "Son, the kite won't go higher if we cut the string."
"Yes, it will," responded the little boy. "The string is holding the kite down; I can feel it." The father handed a pocketknife to his son. The boy cut the string. In a matter of seconds the kite was out of control. It darted here and there and finally landed in a broken heap. That was difficult for the boy to understand. He felt certain the string was holding the kite down.
Deuteronomy 30:9-10, 15-17
9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
Many are the times we feel that the commands that God has laid down for us in His word are holding us back and we want to soar higher and higher. Is not amazing that when we are down, we seek God with all that we have. We attach ourselves to Him and we give Him our all. We pray we go to church; we give the little that we have oohh so faithfully and alas! God does begin to lift us up. Like the kite we begin to soar higher and higher. God’s blessings are all over our life and we are on top of the world. Then the very things that got us off the ground seem like they are hindering us to be all that we can be. We no longer have time for prayer; we can no longer come to church because we have to work overtime. We are so busy we cannot find the time to read the word of God and like the boy, we cut ourselves from the life line. We think all this requirements are pulling us back but the moment we cut ourselves off, we lose control and the wind pushes us from side to side. Instead of going higher and higher, we come tumbling down instead.
The laws of God are there for our good and once we step out of their boundaries then we will be tossed about with all manner of winds causing our life to come tumbling down.
Just like the boy, we will feel like the commands of God are pulling us behind but the reality of the matter is, without them, we don’t have the capability to soar up high with wings like the eagle
God’s laws lead and guide us upwards. Obedience to these laws gives us peace hope and direction. No matter how high God elevates you, don’t make the mistake of cutting yourself off from His commandments especially when you feel like they are pulling you behind.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
No matter what heights of success you achieve, never detach yourself from God, for this one always keep the strings attached.
