Tag:

Worry

Worry As a Companion

by TerryLema

Luke tells the story in his Gospel of a visit Jesus and His disciples made to the home of a woman named Martha, her sister Mary and brother Lazarus. Martha, at one point during the visit complained to Jesus about her sister not helping with all the work that needed to be done.

Mary, instead of helping, had spent the day at the feet of Jesus listening to Him.  I can’t say I blame Martha for complaining. She had at least thirteen extra mouths to feed that day!

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  [10:38-42]

Too often this story is related as a battle between two incompatible ways of life. I don’t think it is that at all. Jesus doesn’t rebuke Martha for her service, in fact, the Gospel of Luke is all about service.

Jesus rebukes Martha, in love, for her worry – which indicates her service needed to be grounded in the same kind of personal, firsthand, experience of love that Mary had chosen – the “what is better.”

The choice is not to be a Martha OR a Mary. To serve the LORD is to be Martha AND Mary. We are to generously serve, but always from a living, personal, firsthand, experience of knowing Jesus Christ our LORD.

Service that flows from that will never have “worry” as its companion.

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Possessions & Anxiety, Day 7

by TerryLema

The last half of Matthew 6, part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, is probably familiar to each of us. In my Bible verses 19 thru 34 are divided into two sections. Two sections that go together. The first is “God and Possessions,” which covers where our treasures are found.

The second section is titled, “The Cure for Anxiety,” and covers worrying about what we will eat, drink and wear. This section also has the wonderful pictures of the birds of the sky fed by the hand of God and the lilies and wildflowers of the field decked out in God’s splendor.

Treasures and Anxiety often walk together. When we have possessions, we worry about losing them. When we don’t have possessions, we worry about getting them.

Proverb 30:8b-9: “Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.” [HCSB]

Perhaps Jesus had this Proverb in mind when He included in The Lord’s Prayer, “Give us today our daily bread.” [Matthew 6:11]

How precious these verses are today. In an uncertain economic time punctuated by inflation, shortage, looming recession, and increasing government and personal debt, many of us are anxious. Will we have enough? Will what we have be taken from us? Those questions often dart into our minds.

Yet we are assured that God knows not just these questions but holds the answers in His hands. Like birds of the sky and flowers of the field, His children are precious in His sight.

Today I ponder the question, “Am I Worried?”

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27 Percent

by TerryLema

I got a haircut last week, same place I always get a haircut. It is not one of those fancy salons. I do not have much hair left after the meds took over, so I cannot see myself paying a lot of money for a haircut that usually takes about five minutes.

The haircut for seniors was $11 about three months ago. Last week it was $14. I am not particularly good at math, but I think that is about 27 percent increase. 27 percent! It made me question what surprises the next three months will hold. So much uncertainty!

Inflation is on the rise; everything costs more than it did a year ago. Unfortunately, for many of us, salaries are not keeping pace. As I look ahead, I see rising medical costs, and our income going down as I leave the church at year’s end. It has been difficult not to worry about how we will meet our expenses. Yet, I know, not just from God’s Word but from past experience that worry does nothing good.

Matthew Chapter 6 ends with a series of thoughts on worry.  Beginning in verse 28, Jesus tells his listeners three times, “Do not worry.”

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.”  [v28 HCSB]

He tells them about the birds of the air that their heavenly Father feeds, and the lilies of the field that God has made glorious.  He reminds them that those who do not know God worry about all such things, but for those who do know God and seek His Kingdom, all those things will be added to them. [vss 26-33]

Then Jesus ends this passage with the admonition, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” [vs 34 HCSB]

God has always made a way for us … and I am trusting Him to make a way once more.

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Two Years

by TerryLema

I have a doctor appointment today with the Rheumatologist to talk about the two auto-immune diseases which are active in my body.  I see a Rheumatologist because there really are not any auto-immune disease specialists around … I am not sure auto-immune disease is even a specialty, and if it is, it is so new that there are not many in that field.

Because my two diseases involve inflammation, I see a Rheumatologist who specializes in rheumatoid arthritis, even though my diseases are not arthritic.  Others auto-immune disease sufferers may see different specialists. We get shuffled around according to symptoms.

Auto-immune diseases are on the rise, and more are being identified every year. It is confusing since the causes of most are still unidentified. Are they genetic, environmental, viruses?

There is only one medication that is generally effective for my two, some form of prednisone. It will not cure but can keep the symptoms under control … although prednisone itself has a whole set of side effects that are almost worse than the disease! (Some biologics are also being tried.)

My diseases have the potential of remission or even disappearing between two to five years. That is on my mind today since July is the two-year mark for the onset of my symptoms. My diagnosis came the following September, and my course of prednisone began.

All these thoughts are running through my mind this morning as I prepare to see the doctor this afternoon. My life changed drastically two years ago. And yet, I am not alone in this … how often do we find something enter our life that changes it significantly.

As I think about my auto-immune diseases today, I remember the words of my Savior … “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life … which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? … Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  [Luke 12:22-34 NKJV]

Whatever my Rheumatologist tells me, whatever is going on in my body, whether there is remission or not, I need not worry about my life … my Father, my Almighty Heavenly Father, is giving me a part in His Kingdom!  Amen.

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Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

by TerryLema

February 15

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy ” is a song by American musician Bobby McFerrin released in 1988. It was the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It stayed at number one for two weeks. The lyrics of the song present many of the problems of life … no bed, the rent is late, no money, no one to love. And throughout the song the advice is simple, “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just tell yourself to stop worrying and be happy instead – and that actually worked?

I have tried to talk myself out of worry many times. It has never worked very well for me.  I might have postponed the panic for a while, put a smile on my face so that no one could tell, but I was never able to remove worry from my heart and mind.  Inside I still quaked!

Fortunately, God does not tell us to just “Don’t worry, be happy.” No, He gives us more than advice, He gives us a way to eliminate anxiety from our lives and to live in peace.

 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” [Philippians 4:6 HCSB]

God tells us not to worry about anything. That is the goal. Then He tells us how to make that goal happen. In everything through prayer and petition, combined with thanksgiving, we are to take all our requests to Him.

Everything that might cause anxiety in us is to be presented first to Him. We do that through prayer. We petition God for His peace and His joy to flood us. We offer thanksgiving in anything and everything knowing that He will provide that “perfect peace” in our hearts and minds. It does not make sense on a human level, that is why “perfect peace” is defined as “a peace which surpasses understanding.”

“And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 4:7 HCSB]

There is much in this world which causes worry and anxiety. Just telling ourselves to ‘be happy’ is not going to work. But if we follow God’s direction, we can have a peace that is supernatural and perfect.

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