I have become accustomed to a ritualistic behavior in my life, which has become a MUST in order for my mind to function: drinking my daily cup or cups of coffee (My doctor is not very fond of this practice – it has just become habit). The anxious rush I receive from my favorite brand of java sends me through my day with hyper-energy, but being prone to anxiety issues I have to watch anything that would make my anxiety worse.. When I am coming unglued at every unpredicted sound, my speech starts running a mile a minute, and my nerves are swarming up my back – I know I’ve had my coffee limit for the day. After careful observation I’ve noticed how some Christians act the way I do after drinking a gallon of coffee by myself: freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behavior!
When Christians try to handle everything in their lives the stress can drive them mad. They lose sleep over bills getting paid, they fret over their children growing up to be healthy adults, they worry over a marital concern, agonize over friendships, and so on. They then step in, with their plan, to handle and fix each and every hardship experienced. This is the fun part – because if you really want to be freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behavior – try playing “god” in your life. As Christians, according to 1 Peter 5:7, we are to cast ALL our care upon God for he cares deeply for us; however I have a tendency to think all only means some, and the rest must be up to me. But God said to throw EVERY CARE into his loving embrace, no matter how minute it may seem. But WHY should you and I trust God with our concerns? The answer is so very simple: He really does care about us, and desires only our well being and success in life – the problem is in our willingness to trust Him.
Trust is a hard issue because it involves being vulnerable to others and giving a portion of our lives to them. Some reading this devotional probably have been burned badly in the past, I know I have, and am not as quick to hand over a piece of my soul easily; however, God is not like man, and I can trust Him with my life. John 3:16 tells us how God sent His only son, named Jesus, to die for our sins-could you trust a God like that? I know I could; however some habits die hard-just like my coffee consumption (I’m grinning ear to ear as I wrote that last statement – so very true about me).
The question directed at us is this: how long do we want to run ourselves ragged with worry and anxiety? Do we enjoy being half nuts and buzzing with our attempts to handle everything in our lives, or would we rather let the God of the universe handle them for us? I do not know about you, but I am tired of being freaked out, frazzled, and buzzing on busy behavior in a vain attempt to solve my problems – how much better to simply trust Him. Take some time today and practice letting go of every concern, even the very difficult ones. Start small, and gradually work your way up. God is patient and knows how easily we try to snatch those concerns back and run wild with them. Give yourself a break today – oh yeah, and while you’re at it, you might try decaf for a change. Grin!
Rob Price robprice33@gmail.com
Conroe, Texas, U.S.A.