Everyone worries.
Everyone gets anxious.
Everyone has anxiety.
Everyone gets distracted.
Everyone.
Everyone is unique.
Except when it comes to worry.
nnNo one is immune.
There is no two-week incubation period.
No quarantine.nnNo cure.
Worry is a part of our human condition.
Distraction. Inattention. Pacing. Nail biting. Overthinking. Procrastinating. Perfecting.
Worrying.
It’s inescapable.
And we too easily punish ourselves with a life sentence of worry.
What is worry?
Worry is an unhealthy response to fear. Fear has the reputation of being a liar, of being a negative emotion, of being harmful. But fear can be life-saving. Fear can be a healthy motivator. Whom or what we fear and our response to that fear is what makes the difference. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The Prince of Peace came in the midst of fearsome times. His inconvenient birth threatened the life of his mother who had to travel and give birth in an unhealthy environment. A jealous king drove his parents to leave their country and go into hiding until that king had died. When they returned, their nation was divided, and their new home governed by a more ruthless king. They moved to Nazareth and lived in obscurity. His whole life, he lived under the oppression of Roman rule.
But he did not live in fear of Rome.
He observed the misplaced fear of his people. He asked his closest followers why they were worried? He knew why. Misplaced fear. Distraction. Misplaced faith.
We so often worry because we rely on ourselves, and we don’t trust God. He calls us to trust Him in the midst of our worries—in the midst of our storms. He is not asleep. He is here with us, hold us in his heart.
Sometimes He calms the storm.
Sometimes He calms His child.
May the God who made you, the God who loves you, may He bring peace to your storm of worry.