Monday, March 16, 2009

Fretting

I am participating in a Monday night Bible study with three girlfriends, and we are going through the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I really enjoyed this week's chapter and lesson, which focused on anxiety and worry. There were a couple things in the chapter that really stood out to me, so I thought I'd share them.

The first is the following quote, from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

"Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way."

I had never really thought of this before. But if you are worried and dwelling on something, then that means you are anxious and want things to go your own way and not God's way. If you really wanted things to go God's way, then you wouldn't be worried...right?

Second is the following quote, by Corrie Ten Boom:

"Any concern too small to be turned into prayer is too small to be made into a burden."

We are to take everything we need and want to God in prayer (Phillipians 4:6). No matter is too small for God. If you think it is, then you have no right to fuss over it. Because God wants to hear it all.

Third is the following quote, from Every Day Light by Selwyn Hughes:

"The reasons our problems often seem overwhelming is [that] we allow the things of time to loom larger in our gaze than the things of eternity."

What are you focusing on? Here? Now? Tomorrow? Have you thought about eternity lately? What riches are you storing up for yourself in heaven?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy,

and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Matthew 6:19-21

Finally, the following statistics were provided, which I found rather interesting:

What We Worry About
40% are things that will never happen.
30% are about the past - that can't be changed.

12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue.

10% are about health, which gets worse with stress.

8% are about real problems that can be solved.


Crazy, huh? If you do the math, that means that 70% of what we worry about are things we can do nothing about. It's just silly. So turn it all over to God. Let Him take the burden. He has a plan for your life. Trust Him. Want what He wants, even if it's not what your fleshly desires want. Then you can relax in His peace, because you will be able to say, "Thy will be done."

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything,

by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Phillipians 4:6-7






1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this post, Kara! I've been worrying about one of those things that I can't do anything about, and those stats were really interesting. The first three would apply to my current worry, but it was a good reminder that I can't do anything about it, so i should just let God handle it and stop fretting. Good post!

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