I watched anxiety darken her face. Where would the money come from?
Our family budget has taken a severe hit over the last five years.
Recently, we struggled through a summer without the income my wife was
receiving from keeping an afterschool child. As the start of the new
school year approached, she was informed her services were no longer
required. A change in jobs had eliminated the necessity for afterschool
care. Now what?
While we were worrying, God was working. Having
recently changed churches, we were now attending a church that needed a
custodian. Though there wasn't money in the budget to hire one, several
individuals in the church pledged enough to hire someone. We were hired.
And the pay? Exactly what my wife had previously earned.
In
spite of God's warning, I tend to hold onto my cares and worries instead
of giving them to him. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he
cares about you." (I Peter 5:7 NLT).
I've bumped into many anxious
situations in my lifetime, but I've learned to pass through them knowing
God wasn't the author. This enables me to view and respond to them
differently. My circumstances are never out of control when God's in
control. Nor does God allow anything designed to arouse worry and
anxiety.
Satan is the troubler of my mind, emotions, and
experiences. He knows he can't steal my eternal security, so he attempts
to rob my peace by sending a few trials and uncertainties. The proper
response--even though I must continually remind myself, is to give my
worries and cares to God. He cares for me; Satan doesn't. When I respond
properly to troubling situations, others are impressed, my light for
Christ shines brightly, and my faith explodes.
Are you giving
your anxieties to God or attempting to carry them yourself?
Prayer: Merciful Father, when anxious moments make an appearance in our
life, give us enough faith to turn them over to You and not worry.