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
Conroe, Texas, U.S.A.
