Are You a Worrier or a Warrior?
By: Alisha Headley
“…Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” – Matthew 6:27
I worry about my parents who are getting older. I worry about my husband and his safety week after week as he’s on the road traveling for work. When I was single, I worried if I would ever find a husband that would love me for all my good, bad, and not so pretty past. I worry about my future kids and raising them in the hateful world we live in. I worry if I can even have kids in the first place since after-all, I’m in my mid-30’s. I worry about finances and the market crash. I worry about getting new wrinkles, and if I’m going to fit into my jeans that I could barely fit into last winter. I worry about the day I get the news about losing another loved one.
All this worrying about what ‘could’ happen in the future causes anxiety, fear, and emotions that draw my focus away from God and His faithfulness.
But what benefit does worrying do?
Jesus teaches in Verse 27 “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
The answer is no. Worrying does not change anything. It certainly does not change your situation nor change the outcome. Worrying is out of our control. When you worry, you assume responsibility for things you were never intended to handle.
The opposite of worry is faith. And there will always be a gap between your worry of the unknown and your faith in God who knows all. This gap is present because God’s desire is for you to be dependent solely on Him. Without that gap, I’m not sure I would ever have had a desire or a need to depend on God.
Faith is not found in WHAT you are believing in, but WHO you are believing in.
Let’s look at some of the heroes of the Bible who without their faith, history would be re-written to tell a different story:
Noah and the Ark: He had to have faith because it had never rained.
David killing a giant: He had to have faith as he had no weapon, only rocks.
Abraham and Sarah: In their older age, they had to have faith they could bear a child.
Faith is believing in things you can not see nor understand. At the time, these heroes of faith could neither understand nor see with their eyes, the ending to their stories. They had to trust in God. God calls us to do the same as he says in Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the LORD will all you heart and lean not on your own understanding”.
Whatever you are facing today, trust the Author who wrote the ending of your story. Just like He knew how Noah’s, David’s and Abraham’s story would end. It is faith that will lead you, guide you, and carry you through the gaps. I Peter 5:7 says to “Cast all your worries and cares to God, because He cares for you.” This means daily, hourly, and sometimes minute to minute. He sees you and will give you rest to your worries.
