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Have you ever played pinball, an arcade game where a steel ball is violently slapped around by paddles inside a machine and points are tallied up as it strikes different flashy components? I bet you have. In fact, last night at 2 AM, I was playing pinball. Not an actual physical pinball game, but a mental one—where my harried thoughts were skipping around at breakneck speed and the anxiety points were racking up. Have you ever been there?
“What’s going to happen with my work situation? How will my medical appointment go next week? How much is my car going to cost this time? Will I be able to afford to retire at 65? PING-PING-PING! My thoughts were being slapped about in my head like a dozen steel balls inside the machine, and not just one. From experience, I’ve learned that everyday worries can add up, and not only can they affect your sleep but also your peace—a peace that is entirely contrary to God’s promises.
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT).
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NLT)
I have also discovered that worry is a direct result of believing the father of lies when he successfully convinces us to reroute our attention away from God and directly to the never-ending can-of-worms that we seem to fuss over, and for me, issues that I stew about when I should be worry-free in sleep. Honestly, I’m growing tired of responding to life’s troubles with worry, and it’s only taken me 63 years to begin to figure it out.
I just read that Jesus never worried. Never once did he rush to get more done or lose sleep over a lengthy to-do list. Rather, Jesus walked in peace. No pinball game for him. He simply trusted his Father and did what he was told to do, step by step, in complete surrender and peace. That’s where I strive to be whenever the steel ball begins to slap around in my head. I’ll call out to Jesus in prayer and submission each and every time.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalms 4:8 NLT).
I believe the prayer below is perfectly suited for not only myself but also for you, the reader of these words, and, as I’m guessing, a fellow pinball worrier. Say it with me: I pray, Lord, that you will help me to lay down my worries and, instead, trust in Your perfect provision. Help me to recognize that when I worry, I am believing the enemy’s lies rather than Your promises. In Jesus name, amen.
I’ll leave you with one more nugget of truth. It’s a powerhouse and one for the memory banks.
“See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” (Isaiah 12:2 NLT)
With that, I’m off to find my sledgehammer. I have a pinball machine to break.
Paul Smyth
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