On my laptop, I have a habit of skimming the news headlines first thing in the morning. In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with knowing what’s going on in my community, city, country, or around the world. Having said that, I find it more and more disturbing the degree of news that causes me anxiety, compared to the news that brings me peace and a sense of pride in being a member of the human race. Today’s headlines did nothing to calm my soul. Wars, global recession, political unrest, natural disasters, and the unpleasant list go on and on.

Sipping my morning coffee, I decided to shift gears to the Bible ap on my phone, likely what I should have started my day with. Ironically enough, the daily devotional was all about worry, anxiety, and fear, and how they come like a thief in the night to strip away your peace—the very peace that Jesus promises us in John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (NLT)

I don’t know about you, but I am not okay with worry stealing my joy, anxiety destroying my peace, and fear ruining my present day or my hopes and dreams for tomorrow. The devotional then directed me to the Book of Matthew, chapter 6:25-34. Here, Jesus tells us not to worry about everyday life—whether we’ll have enough food or drink, or enough clothes to wear. Jesus then closes off by saying in verse 34, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (NLT)

I confess that I spend far too much time steeped in worry, anxiety, and fear. It’s exhausting and a complete waste of energy when my mind conjures up scenarios and events that haven’t even happened yet and, in many cases, never will. Our minds are dangerous places if we allow our thoughts free reign, especially without including Jesus as our calming force. Further into my phone’s Bible devotion, I was encouraged to always seek a relationship with God first, and then all worldly things will fall into proper line. Simply put, where do I place my trust?

“Got it, Lord, loud and clear.”

But God wasn’t done trying to drill this idea into my head, because when I scrolled over to Instagram, where coincidentally enough, or no coincidence at all, I read a post with these words: “If you don’t fill your mind with the Word of God, the enemy will fill it with fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and temptation.”

“Message fully received, Lord.”

My dear friend, I don’t know what plagues your thoughts or your life. What I do know is that each of us, from time to time, suffers from the toxic effects of not trusting God and not filling our hearts and souls with the Word of God. I for one, am frequently guilty as charged, and I need to rekindle my ways.

Care to join me?

Paul Smyth