Just Breathe

Matthew 6:31-34

“So, don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominated the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  So, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Sitting here looking at the Calendar filled to the brim with appointments, holidays, and 1,001 activities for my children; my anxiety begins to take ahold of me and I worry how I can accomplish it all, still get dinner on the table every night and give my best to all the people who count on me.

No matter how old we are worry and anxiety have become a normal part of life.  As kids we worry about our grade on the test, do people like us, what if something happens to my parents?  As adults, the worry cycle gets kicked into full gear when the responsibility of bills, family and jobs enter the picture.  

It’s hard not to worry, we are even told that if we don’t worry about things then we just don’t care.  But what if we set down our worry, just for a minute, don’t panic…it’s not going to go anywhere, and we turned our eyes to heaven and let God carry it for a while?  

In Matthew 6:31-34 Jesus told his disciples “don’t worry” But he didn’t just leave it there.  He didn’t just say “don’t worry, be happy” which is nearly impossible on our own, but he followed it up with that if instead of worrying about tomorrow, next week, next whenever and that we seek God, that he will give us everything we need.  This doesn’t mean that God is some magic 8-ball that we can shake and say, “I’m not worrying, see…Now give me what I want”.  Simply that God will provide what is best for us.

The Bible promises that God will give us what we need, and above all else, we need Him.  If we seek God and we trust in him and not the things of this world, he will be right there next to us carrying us through our worries and our struggles. 

Now as a Military spouse who has had a few experiences with deployment, (8 or 9 now I’m losing count) I have been conditioned to handle everything on my own.  This affects every part of my life. I hate asking for help, I often don’t want to burden anyone else with what I need, and I have to often be reminded that God has placed people in our lives to help carry our burdens.  

My very dear friend has a 3-year-old daughter who I instantly envision whenever I am being stubborn and don’t want to ask for or accept help.  This little miss is so independent and at times has 3-year-old struggles like putting her shoes on the right feet. One day I offered to help her fix her shoes and I picked her up and sat her on my   lap. Instantly she threw her arms up in the air and wiggled out of my grasp and defiantly shouted” I DO IT!” 

I giggle every time I’m reminded of this moment, but the truth is that this is me in a nutshell!  People will offer their help and I will instantly say, “it’s okay, I can do it”

It is more than okay to allow others to help us, because God calls us to care for one another.   In Galatians 6:2 the apostle Paul instructs the believers in Galatia to “share each other’s burdens, and in this way, obey the law of Christ.”.  

Something that has completely wrecked me recently is that when I refuse to ask for help, or don’t allow someone to help me, then I am stealing their opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ and to draw closer to Him.  I don’t know about you, but the last thing that I want to do is stand in the way of God working in someone else’s life.  This has been a daily struggle for me, to let go of control and to trust someone else with what I feel I need to hang on to.  But honestly, when I let go and let God carry my burdens though someone else, it’s an amazing feeling of relief.

So, like Christ said to his disciples, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.”  The next time that someone offers help, don’t quickly refuse and 

If you are weighted down with worry and the burden of day to day life.  I beg you to lay it at the cross.  Let Jesus carry your burden and focus on today.  Allow God to show His care for you through others.  If your worry and anxiety has completely stolen you joy and you need someone to talk to, please reach out to myself, your Service Captain or any one of the pastors here at Element.  We want to share your burdens and help you to carry your load. 

We all have something that we are worrying about right this minute as you are reading this. So, I encourage you to stop what you are doing right now, pray to your Father in Heaven who desperately loves and cares for you, take a deep breath and just breathe….