Tag: Worry

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The less I know, the better?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭131‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The longer I live, the less I know. Of course faulty and forgotten memories play a part, but it’s more than that. The game to be played and won is just not as important now. It’s no longer a push or a rush to be first, to win at all costs and to be the brightest and smartest in the room. Is that just a game for youth? I certainly don’t have much to prove anymore!

Oh, but there is one thing I do know and still hold onto – I don’t need to know everything. And I am absolutely learning that I don’t have control over much at all. Circumstances? Nope. People. Nope. Economy. Ha, no way. Outcomes of elections, senate bills or supreme court decisions. Definitely not. The Church or the local church? Nope, I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet!

This psalm was put in the book late in David’s life. It’s titled “pilgrim’s ascent,” but it’s really his reflections, looking back over the span of a complicated, tumultuous, successful life. I just want to hug these two amazing lines out of this psalm. “I don’t concern myself…” oh, what truth. With matters too great, or too awesome for me to grasp. There it is! Years of wisdom finally spoken in moments of blissful truth.

David’s anecdote to the poison of worry and control… “I have calmed and quieted myself.” This from a guy who saw more, lived more, had more money and more power than I will ever see. This from his humble, field beginnings, to one of the most powerful men of ancient times. My simple faith and trust in God and Him alone should suffice, it must, if I am to finish well.

If you are in your angsty thirties, or your self-aware forties, listen to David’s godly advice. Practice this: Do not concern yourself with matters beyond your control or too complicated to even begin to understand! Trust God. Obey God. This will bring a calm quietness to your soul. When peace like a river attendeth your way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever your lot, God hast taught you to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Prayer

Dad,
Reading one of David’s later psalms has given me hope. I don’t have to know or control everything. I simply must know you. I think about Paul’s powerful words to “know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” I should be far more content and at ease knowing that you know! You know me. You know everything. And, there is a peace that comes with the confidence that you are working all things out for good, mine and everyone else’s good, for those who know you, and have faith in you. What a mental relief to my soul! Thank you for all that you have done and all you are doing in my life today.

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Do you worry?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Worrying is an interesting subject. Some worry often, others seem to not worry enough! For some, worry is debilitating, suffocating, causing a mental collapse or stall – an awful state of stuckness.

Jesus used this Greek word, anxious, merimnáō (from mérimna, “a part, as opposed to the whole”) – negatively it is “drawn in opposite directions;” “divided into parts” or figuratively “to go to pieces”. In other words, DO NOT be pulled apart or go to pieces!

Surprisingly, the word can be used positively. It is also used of effectively distributing concern, in proper relation to the whole picture. Paul uses the positive word in Philippians 2:20 speaking of Timothy, who genuinely “cares” (merimnaó – distributed concern) about your welfare. So the word anxious can pull you apart or it can get us to distribute the concern. Paul also uses this word in 1 Corinthians 12:25, saying instead of division (schisma) the body of Christ should have distributed care (merimnōsin) for one another.

I wonder what makes the difference between going to pieces verses distributing the pieces? One feels helpless, like I am so overwhelmed that I just “lose it.” I guess that’s kind of what worry feels like. My life, represented as a ceramic vase, drops to the ground shattering in a thousand pieces. It’s overwhelming! The other is more like several people cooperatively working on a 1000 piece puzzle. The solution is to distribute the FUN, the joy in working together to build and complete the puzzle. There is even an art form called Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. Of course the idea would be that several artists work together, ie: distributed repair verses solo repair.

One “anxiety” is a collapse the other a collaboration! Jesus wasn’t using this unique word as a Greek object lesson. He was simply stating faith-facts. Look for God today instead of looking for tribble-trouble tomorrow – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬

Prayer

Dad,
As you know, I can receive some small bit of information that just vase-drops my life into a thousand pieces. One criticism, one loss, one negative comment – boom – and I shatter into anxieties. Your Word doesn’t just remind me to stop ruminating long enough to trust you, but also to rest in the fact that you are working in this distributed care fashion. In your Kingdom, all the pieces fit together for those who love you and are called according to your purpose! In your Kingdom, broken things have a way of becoming more beautiful, more effective in your hands. Today I don’t just hand over my worries, I hand over all the broken shards and trust that you are making something spectacular out them! I cast all my cares (merimnan) on you, because you care for me.