Stop Worrying

by Deacon Anderson

We live in a time where the world would say that there are good reasons to worry. You can’t turn on the TV or listen to the radio or even surf the internet without finding real and credible reasons to worry. Either it’s the high price of gas, or the prolong war in Afghanistan.  Maybe it’s the news of disasters from all over the world; floods, hurricanes, tornados and tsunami.  You don’t have to look long or far to find reasons to worry.   Unfortunately, we underestimate the impact that worrying has on us.

Webster dictionary describes it like this, worry means:

  • to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the throat
  • to shake or pull at with the teeth <a terrier worrying a rat>
  • to touch or disturb something repeatedly
  • to change the position of or adjust by repeated pushing or hauling
  • to assail with rough or aggressive attack or treatment : torment
  • to subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort
  • to afflict with mental distress or agitation : make anxious

Worry will affect you physically, mentally and spiritually. Worry is debilitating. It will stop you dead in your tracks. Worrying will cause to shut down or run away. It could lead to deep depression and for some
even death. It’s no wonder Christ himself teaches us not to worry.

Look at Matthews 6:25 – 32 Christ is teaching his disciples
about this issue of worrying.  He says,

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these.  30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things.

He uses the birds as an example. He tells us the birds goes about their everyday life without worrying about tomorrow. They don’t sow and reap.
They don’t plant and water. They just take care of today and God takes care of
tomorrow. He then shows them how silly and useless worrying really is by asking a rhetorical question. He asks them which one was able to add an inch to his height by just thinking about it or worrying about it. He didn’t want an answer but he did want his disciples to think. Finally he points their attention to flowers of the field. How beautiful they are and how God pays so much  attention to their details to their look and arrangement.  Christ then concludes by telling his disciples that if God himself takes that much care of the wild flowers (some of which are never be seen), wont he take care of you the one he created in his only likeness and image. We need to have faith. We need to realize that the one who created life has the power to maintain it. He knows what we need and he will take of us.  Remember what David wrote in Palms 37:25 “ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”    There is no need to worry. Trust in the Lord.



Just Keep Living

by Deacon Anderson

Mama would say, “Just keep living…” I didn’t understand it
when I was younger but I have a better grasp of it now.  I’ve lived through some things and I now have firsthand experience. We are all going to experience heart aches and pains. We will have trials and tribulations. It is enviable. And if you are a child of the King, then you need to know that some trials are allowed by God as with Job (Job 1:8) and some are performed by God as he did with Jonah (1:4). The bible tells us that God chastens the one he loves (Heb 12:6).

James says we should count it all joy when we fall into the different types of temptations and trials (James 1:2). James is only talking to those who have accepted Christ as their personal savior. He is not telling us to get happy about difficulties and painful situations in which we find ourselves. What he is saying is that the trials that we face are a part of the sanctification process designed to develop our faith and to help us to become more and more like Christ and that’s good news. The trials produce a supernatural result that we call Joy.  Joy is something that the world can’t give or take away. Joy comes from the LORD. It is a byproduct of the receiving the Holy Spirit. It’s one of the indications that we are maturing as Christians (Gal 5:22)

Solomon tell us to trust in the lord and lean not to your own understanding. While things may look bad or even feel bad, we walk and make our decisions by faith and not by sight. Our trust is in the LORD and we believe that he will never fail. Solomon tells us to rest in the fact that God is in control. He knows what he is doing and that he loves us and wants the best for us.

Job really understood this and is a good example or model to follow. He came to understand that life was short. He was the poster child for what James talked about.  It didn’t matter what happened to Job. He lost EVERTHING and his lost was a public. His friends observed him as he suffered lost. His wife pushed him and told him to curse God and die. But Job trusted God and therefore what happen to him didn’t matter. He was so committed that he recognized the process that James spoke about. Job said when he has tried me… When he’s finished testing me… When this trial is over,  I shall come forth as pure gold (Job 23:10)

Many have spent millions trying to find the formula to manage even avoids trials pains and tribulations even though the bible tells us that will have them.  But for those who are in the household of faith, those who are followers of Christ, we know that trials develops patient and patient develops faith and faith produces joy. So we understand what’s going on and know that God is in control.

So if you are a follower of Christ and going through a difficult season in your life?  No whining. Just Shut up!, Look up! , Stand up! and grow up!  GOD will do the rest. He will show up and speak up. He will speak to your problem and your situation. He will help you through it and he will give you joy in the midst of it. If you are saying, “what problems?”, I haven’t experience anything I couldn’t handle or would be considered a trial or tribulation. I will tell you just like mama told me.  Just Keep Livening.