Me, Myself & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild
Chapter 1: Day 4
Today, tears came to my eyes as I read through the lesson. Jennifer asks me to describe worry. I begin to think about this and realize that worry is like a robber. It robs me of peace, tranquility, serenity, and productivity. When I worry, I take my eyes off God and lower them to myself. Worry is the opposite of belief and hope. A hopeful person does not worry.
I must meditate on God’s Word. Jennifer grabs my attention when she points out that the standard for my meditation is not what is acceptable to me, but what is acceptable to God. He sets the standard for what we should think about. God hears our every word, every heartbeat, and every thought. OK…I wonder how He feels when my mind becomes laden down with cares. While I am not currently in a season of worry, I lived in that pit last summer. My husband was laid off and I became worried. I worried, and worried, and worried—even though the school that laid him off paid very little and had planned to cut the teachers’ pay even lower. How foolish of me! In hindsight I see what a waste of time it was to spend my quiet moments worrying instead of praising God. I was encapsulated in worry.
Worry is like a bug that bites. It sucks your joy and depletes your energy. It makes you insecure and it creates bitterness. When you host the worry bug, it does not just stick onto you; it tends to suck on the people around you also. It drags down those who are around you. It hurts God’s heart when we worry. Psalm 94:19 says, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” Scripture assures us that God wants to console us when we become anxious. Anxious thoughts will come, but God wants to step in and give us hope and assurance.
Whatever you are facing, God wants to provide what you need for your situation. You must believe this. We must not be imprisoned by worry at all. I realized that my worry created insecurity within me. God is a God of security and whatever He has gifted you to do, and is telling you to do for Him, step out and do it. That is why I am going to blog my way throughout this study. I have always been afraid to step out and put my thoughts out there, so to speak. Why should I be? Why should you be? There is no need to fear when God is with you.
Let us meditate on truth:
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Phil. 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1Pet. 5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.