There's certainly not one person on the face of the earth who has not been buffeted with the perennial enemy called WORRY!
Almost everyone has had a worrisome appointment with this enemy, possibly brought about by the receipt of a sad, unpleasant, unsavory news; or a bad Doctor's report that had suddenly raised the blood pressure, and the body's breathing mechanisms. Worry, if not quickly checked could metamorphose into a mushroom-headed monster of many unprecipitated diseases that would attack the body and mind, with the certainty of its destructibility. In other words, Worry is not a friend. It is a silent killer. The loss of a job, or the means of livelihood through which the bills could be paid; the deterioration in the health situation of one, or a loved one, or the loss of a spouse's love to adultery or an affair that is now threatening the life of the marriage could beckon Worry on. These are just some of the situations that breed this enemy. There are certainly many more scenarios that you probably could think about, too! It is, therefore, safe to deduce that losses of any kind not curtailed or ineffectively managed will usher in Fear. And Fear, Worry!
Worry is not the evidence of a lack of faith. Rather, it is the indicator of the lack of trust in the limitless capabilities of the Almighty God! It is a TRUST issue.
Ask yourself: 'Do I REALLY trust in God's infinite capabilities?'
No one ever walked on water until Jesus Christ did. And in stark darkness on a sea! And when the impetuous Peter had witnessed the impossible being done, he had challenged the Master: "Bid me come!" The Master had invited him on, and at once, all thoughts of sinking or the impossibility of walking on a sea had left the protege. Peter too had walked on the sea. He had walked for a good while until the sea had become boisterous and choppy. Then, he had feared. And immediately had begun sinking. But Jesus Christ reached out to him and caught in, just in time. (See Matthew 14:22-36; Mark 6:45-56; John 6:16-24). Here's the worrisome spiritual equation:
1. Scenario that beckons upon Fear arises.
2. Fear, if entertained leads to Worry; and
3. Worry leads to sinking Death.
WHAT DID JESUS CHRIST TEACH ABOUT WORRY?
Matthew the Evangelist recorded this famous teaching of Christ Jesus:
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought of 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?
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?
Which of you by taking thought can take one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothed 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?"
These purple ones are not lilies but of the Augustifolia Hidcote family. However, the teaching is regardless of a particular species. It is not little faith that is the issue, but Fear seducing Worry to take over. Jesus didn't reprimand Peter for sinking, but for being afraid; for his state of being afraid had deprived the continuous on-working of his faith that helped him walk all that distance before he had quitted believing God that he was unsinkable! Yet the Master was nigh - and quick and ready to save the doubting Peter.
What does the story teach us?
Here's the bottom line: 'No matter how boisterous the wind is, and at whatever time it arises, teach me O, LORD, to not take my eyes off of Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of my faith, that I sink not.' Amen!
Another lesson I have learned from Worry is that worrying NEVER solves any problem. Rather, it aggravates the situation. 'Which of you by taking thought can add a cubit unto his stature?' The phrase "taking thought" was the archaic expression: WORRY!
Possibly, the last lesson for me is to do all I can in my ability to increase my faith from little faith to greater faith. Because a greater faith certainly can withstand the onslaught of any boisterous wind far greater than a little faith.
How can this happen? "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
P.S
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Photo credit: Sammy Joseph Ministries. Copyrighted photo used by permission and must not be reproduced, stored, or altered without the written permission of the copyrights holder!
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