This semester I have had a constant whisper from that still small voice: "Put it in its place."
Worrying about school? About work? About money? About illness? About politics? About time?
Put it in its place.
God did not create us to live anxious, worry filled lives. He created us to live lives full in Him. God didn't declare "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) for His benefit, but for our benefit.
When you worry, are you elevating the subject of your anxiety to a place that it doesn't deserve to hold? There is a place in our lives for worry, for work, for studying, for money, for political analysis. There is a place for most of what we fill our lives with, but where it becomes harmful is when we make it more important than it is. Put it in its place.
For me, this semester, it's one of my classes. It's a business simulation that runs on a weekly schedule, where competition results come out on Sunday night at 9PM and then we spend the rest of the week analyzing what happened in the simulation and making decisions for the next week. It is one of those things that could truly never be done. No matter how much time I put in from week to week, there is always more analysis that I could be doing, more calculations that I could make. When I get caught up in the simulation I can easily spend several hours doing nothing but staring at the computer screen and moving numbers around. Do I get any fulfillment from this? No. Does it make me a better person? No. Does extensive analysis help me to learn the class objectives better? No. Could my team do better if I were to do nothing but look at these simulation results? Maybe.
It's in these times when I am so caught up in this simulation or other classwork that God tells me to step back and put this class in its place. I wasn't created for this class. This class does have a purpose, but elevating it to a level outside of its rightful place in my life does nothing beneficial to my learning or to my character development.
For the first eight weeks of this class my team consistently was not seeing results that matched up with the amount of time and effort we were putting into the simulation. I felt beaten down and exhausted by this class, and by the time week eight rolled around I was ready to quit, feeling pretty bad about myself and my abilities. Together with my team and professor I put a final push into week eight, exerting more time and energy on this simulation than any week before, vowing that I would do nothing but the bare minimum from there on out if the week eight results weren't better.
Week Eight was a roaring success. The results came out Sunday at 9PM, as per usual, and I was overjoyed. A funny thing happened as the week went on, though. After the initial excitement, this success didn't fulfill me, and much like our prior failures didn't define me, this success didn't either. I laughed at God when I realized that even though I had been trying to listen to Him all semester and put this class in its place, I really had believed that everything in my life would align and go well once this class went well. But that wasn't true, and even with this personal "win" I still had to put the class in its place.
The only thing that defines us is Christ's love for us, not anything that we can do or say in this life. When facets of life begin to take over, don't let them. Keep them where they belong, and keep your eye on the prize (or, rather, gift): eternal life with our Savior. Worry as necessary, work as necessary, study as necessary, but don't let any of those things take over. Put it in its place.
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worry. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Monday, August 13, 2012
Jesus Loves Me
Sometimes being a Christian is hard. Sometimes it can seem like there just isn't time for it, sometimes God can feel distant, sometimes we don't understand how things in this world can happen if God exists. Sometimes we just don't get it.
And that is okay.
Some days, we are not meant to me the hard core Christians who have it all together. Some days, the only thing that we can and have to cling to is the fact that Jesus loves us. When we can't keep it all together, when we just feel like falling apart, we need to focus in on one thing that will always be true and will never change, Jesus's love for us.
Nobody is perfect, no matter how much we try to be. But the good news is that Jesus took care of all of that for us. He is there with open arms even when we're at our worst, and sometimes, we don't need to go any further than that.
Mark 10:13-16 say "And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."
Children don't worry about the things that adults begin to worry about as they grow older. Children accept ideas without question, a feat that can sometimes be all but impossible for an adult. Children don't usually have a difficult time questioning God's love for them, and that is somethings special.
Jesus loves us, and that is forever true.
Children don't worry about the things that adults begin to worry about as they grow older. Children accept ideas without question, a feat that can sometimes be all but impossible for an adult. Children don't usually have a difficult time questioning God's love for them, and that is somethings special.
Jesus loves us, and that is forever true.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Give It All to God
I've probably written this on here a countless number of times, but I'll say it again, I am a worrier. I stress myself out, and I get knots in my stomach over the smallest of things. I've been a worry wart ever since I was a little kid, and I still remember times when my mom would tell me "Just give it all to God."
I worry over things that I can't control, and things that I can't change. And I'll tell you, this time of year, I worry the most about the logistics for the mission trips that I've been attending with my youth group each year. I worry about how the group dynamics will affect the trip, I worry about the drama that we'll carry there, start there, and bring back, I worry about who will be in my car and in my work group. And it gets to a point where I'm just worrying in circles, but you know what? I can't do anything about it. Especially before the trip actually begins.
Last year was no different from any other year, and I had completely stressed myself out by the time we got to the trip. As things played out on the very first day in Boston, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten and loosen multiple times. And then, on Monday morning during devotions, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace come over me as I spoke to God.
"Lord, I have absolutely no idea what You're doing right now, and frankly, it scares me. I don't like not knowing. But what I do know is that You are all-knowing, and You have a plan for all of this. So I'm just going to have to trust You. I'm giving this worry to You. Please, help me."
If I didn't just trust God, I would have let my worry and stress overwhelm me, and take over my trip. My focus would have been on worrying, not on doing God's work.
I think that that happens a lot, that we let stress, or worry, or guilt, or sadness, or whatever emotion it is, take us over. We can't do anything but wait and see how things turn out, but still, we frantically obsess.
1 Peter 5:7 says "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."
God is there to take it all from us. We just need to be willing to give it to Him. We need to throw up our hands, and say "God, I can't do this without You, and I don't want to. I need you to take this from me, and I need you to guide me." God knows what He's doing, and once we get rid of our worries and give them to Him, He's going to do amazing things in our lives.
I worry over things that I can't control, and things that I can't change. And I'll tell you, this time of year, I worry the most about the logistics for the mission trips that I've been attending with my youth group each year. I worry about how the group dynamics will affect the trip, I worry about the drama that we'll carry there, start there, and bring back, I worry about who will be in my car and in my work group. And it gets to a point where I'm just worrying in circles, but you know what? I can't do anything about it. Especially before the trip actually begins.
Last year was no different from any other year, and I had completely stressed myself out by the time we got to the trip. As things played out on the very first day in Boston, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten and loosen multiple times. And then, on Monday morning during devotions, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace come over me as I spoke to God.
"Lord, I have absolutely no idea what You're doing right now, and frankly, it scares me. I don't like not knowing. But what I do know is that You are all-knowing, and You have a plan for all of this. So I'm just going to have to trust You. I'm giving this worry to You. Please, help me."
If I didn't just trust God, I would have let my worry and stress overwhelm me, and take over my trip. My focus would have been on worrying, not on doing God's work.
I think that that happens a lot, that we let stress, or worry, or guilt, or sadness, or whatever emotion it is, take us over. We can't do anything but wait and see how things turn out, but still, we frantically obsess.
1 Peter 5:7 says "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."
God is there to take it all from us. We just need to be willing to give it to Him. We need to throw up our hands, and say "God, I can't do this without You, and I don't want to. I need you to take this from me, and I need you to guide me." God knows what He's doing, and once we get rid of our worries and give them to Him, He's going to do amazing things in our lives.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Worst Way to Get in Shape
Whenever I'm stressed out, worried, or angry, the muscles in my stomach tighten. I'll walk around for days, sometimes even weeks, with my stomach muscles clenched. You can imagine how this ends up hurting after a while, though I suppose that it is actually really good for my muscles.
The point here is that my internal emotions venture outside of my head and into the physical part of me, even if it's only a little thing causing me to worry. I obsess over even the smallest issue until it's come to a conclusion. And I know that it goes too far when I have to literally try to loosen my muscles.
It's in those moments when I'm trying to force my muscles to let go that I hear God, as odd as it sounds. God tells me that it's okay to worry about things, but not to let them take control of my life. I can't constantly think about issues. Matthew 6:27 says "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" So as I struggle to loosen the muscles in my stomach, I tell myself that whatever I'm worried about won't last forever, and worrying about it won't do any good, anyway.
I don't know why I worry about things so much, whether it's a personality trait, or something that must be fixed, but either way it isn't good. And though it helps to work my stomach muscles, I'm sure there are much more conventional ways to get in shape than constantly obsessing over issues.
The point here is that my internal emotions venture outside of my head and into the physical part of me, even if it's only a little thing causing me to worry. I obsess over even the smallest issue until it's come to a conclusion. And I know that it goes too far when I have to literally try to loosen my muscles.
It's in those moments when I'm trying to force my muscles to let go that I hear God, as odd as it sounds. God tells me that it's okay to worry about things, but not to let them take control of my life. I can't constantly think about issues. Matthew 6:27 says "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" So as I struggle to loosen the muscles in my stomach, I tell myself that whatever I'm worried about won't last forever, and worrying about it won't do any good, anyway.
I don't know why I worry about things so much, whether it's a personality trait, or something that must be fixed, but either way it isn't good. And though it helps to work my stomach muscles, I'm sure there are much more conventional ways to get in shape than constantly obsessing over issues.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Breathe, Just Breathe
In, out.
In, out.
I know, I know. There are times when life can seem so overwhelming, and you feel so lost in the world. Believe me, I know. That sense that you're in a race, and just inches behind the next runner, but no matter how hard you push yourself, you can't catch up. There's always something new, always another thing on that to-do list.
I find that I get trapped in what needs to be done a lot. I can't focus on the task in front of me, because I'm too worried about what needs to be done next, and after that. Then there's the added pressure of prioritizing. Does the homework assignment due tomorrow come first? Or does the outline for the huge project due at the end of the week come first? Add friends, and drama, and family, and other school work into the equation, and you're buried head to toe in things that you need to get done before you can sleep for the night.
You feel like you're drowning. You kick your feet, and you push at the water with your arms, but you just can't stay above long enough to take a deep breath. Yeah, life can feel like that sometimes. When you're going, going, going all the time, never taking a moment to stop and smell the roses, you feel lost and exhausted.
So let me tell you, it's time to stop. Breath in, and breathe out. Smell the roses. It is spring-time, after all, the flowers are blooming rapidly. For just a couple of seconds, forget about the long list of things that need to be done, and breathe, just breathe. Take the time to appreciate the wonderful person you are, and the wonderful gifts that God has given you.
In, out.
I know, I know. There are times when life can seem so overwhelming, and you feel so lost in the world. Believe me, I know. That sense that you're in a race, and just inches behind the next runner, but no matter how hard you push yourself, you can't catch up. There's always something new, always another thing on that to-do list.
I find that I get trapped in what needs to be done a lot. I can't focus on the task in front of me, because I'm too worried about what needs to be done next, and after that. Then there's the added pressure of prioritizing. Does the homework assignment due tomorrow come first? Or does the outline for the huge project due at the end of the week come first? Add friends, and drama, and family, and other school work into the equation, and you're buried head to toe in things that you need to get done before you can sleep for the night.
You feel like you're drowning. You kick your feet, and you push at the water with your arms, but you just can't stay above long enough to take a deep breath. Yeah, life can feel like that sometimes. When you're going, going, going all the time, never taking a moment to stop and smell the roses, you feel lost and exhausted.
So let me tell you, it's time to stop. Breath in, and breathe out. Smell the roses. It is spring-time, after all, the flowers are blooming rapidly. For just a couple of seconds, forget about the long list of things that need to be done, and breathe, just breathe. Take the time to appreciate the wonderful person you are, and the wonderful gifts that God has given you.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Almost Christmas!
So I haven't posted anything for a really long time, even though I meant to. Oh well, those first few posts really helped me put things into perspective. There's so much to be thankful for even when we don't think so. God throws a lot of unexpected things in our way, but He never gives us anything that we can't handle, and that is a lesson that I am still learning. I am still trying to truly trust that. Life isn't always easy, but I know that in the end it will all be worth it, when we are with God for eternity.
A lot of times I let my past haunt me, and that sounds like something really bad happened, but it didn't, quite the opposite really. I have such amazing memories, and oh too often I let my memories keep me hanging on too tightly to my past. We don't want to forget what has happened to us, but we don't want to let it keep us from living our lives now. Things are going to change, and we don't need to like it, but it needs to happen to allow time to go on. It might hurt at first, but once we realize that this is life now, we'll see how amazing it really is. How wonderful everything is, even what seems like the worst.
It's just over a week until Christmas, and I am happy to say that I feel as though I am really in the true spirit of Christmas this year. The Christmas season didn't come a moment too soon, and not a moment too late. It's been wonderful!
A lot of times I let my past haunt me, and that sounds like something really bad happened, but it didn't, quite the opposite really. I have such amazing memories, and oh too often I let my memories keep me hanging on too tightly to my past. We don't want to forget what has happened to us, but we don't want to let it keep us from living our lives now. Things are going to change, and we don't need to like it, but it needs to happen to allow time to go on. It might hurt at first, but once we realize that this is life now, we'll see how amazing it really is. How wonderful everything is, even what seems like the worst.
It's just over a week until Christmas, and I am happy to say that I feel as though I am really in the true spirit of Christmas this year. The Christmas season didn't come a moment too soon, and not a moment too late. It's been wonderful!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Gratitude Journal-Day 5
Gratitude Journal-Day 5
Today was one of those days that you just don't know where the day went. I'm thankful for these types of days though, because they allow you to take a break from business, and just relax for a little while. I'm grateful for the time that I've had to relax and replenish my energy this week off of school. Often times I let myself get so busy and so overbooked, and I get extremely stressed, it is weeks like this when I am able to remind myself that "This too shall pass".
I tend to worry very often, about things that aren't worth worrying over. Recently though, God has been giving me comfort, and teaching me to that I can always turn to Him. I haven't been as worried lately, and I am so grateful for that.
Today was one of those days that you just don't know where the day went. I'm thankful for these types of days though, because they allow you to take a break from business, and just relax for a little while. I'm grateful for the time that I've had to relax and replenish my energy this week off of school. Often times I let myself get so busy and so overbooked, and I get extremely stressed, it is weeks like this when I am able to remind myself that "This too shall pass".
I tend to worry very often, about things that aren't worth worrying over. Recently though, God has been giving me comfort, and teaching me to that I can always turn to Him. I haven't been as worried lately, and I am so grateful for that.
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