It’s Friday…We Have a Choice

“Do not worry.” It is one of Jesus’ most frequently repeated commands. It’s also one of the hardest to obey. Worry comes naturally. We say we just can’t help it. (We can). We say it’s just part of who we are. (It’s part of who we were naturally, before faith in Christ – not now). We justify it by saying that Jesus wants us to think responsibly about the future. (But there’s a huge difference between being responsible and being worried). And as much as we think we admire people who do not worry, we may criticize them for being “too laid back” or lacking a serious outlook on life.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Luke 12:25)

Our problem with worry is a heart issues, isn’t it? If we’ve accepted Christ as our King, then it’s a matter of whether we’ve surrendered our lives to Him. Do we really trust Him to take care of us? Do we really believe that He will lead us in His will and that His will is always good. Do we really value His plan, even when His plan seems to lead us through difficult circumstances? If the answer is “Yes” to all of these, then we have perhaps recognized Jesus as our Lord as He desires. But for most people the answer to these questions is “No” – at least occasionally, if not frequently.

Let’s think about what’s in our heart when we worry. If we are worried and anxious, we don’t really accept Him as our King, do we? If we really have submitted to Him, we implicitly trust Him to handle everything in our lives. They are in His hands, and whatever He chooses to do with them is right with us, even if His will seems difficult. The path is His, the means to live it are His, and the outcomes are His. This is what surrender is all about. And if we’re really surrendered, we’re not worried about it.

Things may be tough right now. We Have A Choice: We can trust that it’s either God’s difficult place (or a place from which He will soon provide deliverance); or we can wonder if He’s lost His grip on our lives and let us wander too far out of His will. The only issue is what our heart chooses to believe about God. Let’s choose based on His faithfulness, not ours.

Have a peace-filled weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who are at peace even when things seem to be coming apart in pieces. They know He’s in control right now like He has been in the past. They know He will come through again, and again, and again.

All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15b-16)