Have you been worrying about something?
      Once we choose our “worries”, we then begin to practice them. They can become imbedded in our minds. Then they feel right and acceptable to us. We may even believe that anyone would worry if they had our problems.
      A man may worry about the upkeep of their car but the woman may worry about the upkeep of their home.
      Jesus understood all our worries. His disciples worried that if He went to Jerusalem He would be killed (see John 11:8) but He wasn’t worried. Why? He knew something that they had not learned. He knew that God would take care of everything. Jesus’ way of thinking was foreign to His disciples. They thought any intelligent person would worry about being arrested and killed. After all, if Jesus was arrested they might be arrested too.
      Jesus told them: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). To His disciples that idea was simply not practical, every day living.
      To Jesus, worry was harmful – exactly opposite to faith in God. He wasn’t worried if they had no food. He knew God would provide it. But His disciples were “normal.” They knew what everyone had to do in order to have food. They knew the same facts about money, fish and the weather. They had learned what to worry about from experience. But Jesus had learned to trust God, so He taught and practiced let not your heart be troubled.
      You and I have learned many reasons why we should worry. The idea that God wants to work everything for our good (see Rom.8:28) is difficult for us. People say, “But how could I be thankful for this or that?” Believing that God will keep His promise to make: All things work together for good to them that love Him, needs to be practiced until it becomes real to us!
      When He was still young Jesus had increased in wisdom (see Luke 2:52) until He knew He could trust God to do whatever needed to be done. Later His disciples learned to believe what Jesus believed. They taught and wrote what they learned. Now you and I can learn and practice believing. We can learn that worrying is harmful but faith and trust are powerful to help us. How do we begin learning? The Bible is an excellent place to learn!

      Anxieties can become so imbedded in us that it is difficult for us to realize what we are doing. Ephesians 5:19-20 is a wonderful place to learn not to worry. Paul gave us God’s plan to help us: understanding what the Will of the Lord is. Knowing God’s Will makes a huge impact on what we decide to do! We can learn His Will by studying what His Word teaches us. Be filled with the Spirit is a mighty resource that Jesus used. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. This is a behavior we can learn to practice. Another way to change worry into rejoicing is by: Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Then comes our biggest leap forward: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
      When the Holy Spirit began to show me the many things I had been worrying about, and what I should begin doing, it was difficult for me to be obedient. Giving thanks for all things seemed wrong but I could not ignore what the Will of the Lord is. Step by step I learned that giving thanks always for all things is God’s wonderful plan to help us learn the joy and power we receive when we are obeying the Will of the Lord!
      It is sometimes difficult for our stubborn nature to accept the blessings that God wants to give us but we can learn. As we learn we then have the joy of telling others what we have learned. Yes, they may think that we are not very realistic and react as Jesus’ disciples did. But eventually some people will be very thankful for the blessing you have given them. (I hear from these folks every day).
      Giving thanks always overcomes the habit of worry! It opens our heart to the power of the Holy Spirit and He wants to teach us what the will of God is. God has given us many resources that will help us understand why Jesus was never worried about – anything.