Worry vs. Worship

Jesus knew that this life was going to be tough for us. Leading up to Jesus' Crucifixion; Jesus tells his disciples "do not let your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe in me."  Jesus goes on to tell them that he's going to prepare a place for them, mansions in fact and that they know where and the way he's going.  You gotta love Thomas' reply, he quickly responds “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”  John 14:6 Jesus tells Thomas and the disciples  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  Jesus is telling you and I the same thing.    

After Jesus promises the gift of comforter, the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells the disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." God doesn't want us to be afraid or worried. We have the same peace that Jesus has, in us. When life comes at us, we need to pause and remember to exercise the peace Jesus gave us. In Matthew 6:25, Jesus clearly tells us don't worry about your life, in fact he tells us not to worry about what we will eat, drink or wear. Jesus reassures the disciples by telling them, "Your Heavenly Father knows what you need." God knows what we need too. He doesn't want us worrying about our basic needs. He loves us way too much to be worried about our basic needs. Like a good father provides for his family and children, our Heavenly Father will provide for us.

So what can you do when you feel worried or anxious?

  • Read the Word of God's promises, His precepts will bring peace
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort you
  • Remember how faithful God has been in the past
  • Proclaim the Lord's companionship
  • Acknowledge His love for you that endures forever 
  • Give thanks to the Lord for what He is doing, will do and has done 
  • Sing and worship the Lord even when you don't feel like it
  • Go bird watching, He cares for them. He promises to take care of you

 

God is gracious and compassionate towards us. When we sing a new song of praise and worship God, fear and anxious thoughts will disappear.  I'll leave you with this little story from my days at the Car Wash.  Years ago, I was going through a very troubling season after my husband Jim died. I worried through the night. I would toss and turn night after night while grinding my teeth. Only to wake up the next day tired, with a headache and aching teeth. Oh and if tears were involved, I could count on swollen eyes too. Then one day at the Car Wash as I dumped the trash; I found this little white note with a sweet blue ribbon on it, laying on top of the trash in the dumpster. The note read "Rest Well" ~ Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

God delights in you and He is compassionate towards you, He sees you and He knows the things we're worried about. God wants us to relax and trust him. He will quiet our minds with his love and rejoice over us with singing. The next time you feel worried about something, start worshiping the Lord with singing, because the Lord is singing over you.

Life can come at us hard. What is your go to response? Worry or Worship? Jesus clearly tells us not to worry about anything...easier said than done. I have found that when I focus on what God says verses what my situation might be making me feel, God word removes fear and worry.

Copyright © 2017 Sheri Austin Ministries, All rights reserved. 

 

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