Worry

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like your heart is going to explode and there are butterflies in your stomach because you do not want to mess up? Your so nervous that you wish you were in a place that was so comfortable and enjoyable that you would not have one ounce of worry in your heart. I know what this feels like, having a coach come watch you or performing when everyone is watching is a lot like that. You know that everyone is waiting for you to shine and if you mess up you feel like a big failure. I was a Junior in high school and I was told that I was going to make my first varsity start against a team that has been nationally ranked and has several division one players on their roster. Everything is racing through your head on that day and you do not know how to respond, you have nowhere to look other than trying to stay inside of yourself and not letting emotions get the best of you. Worry is something we do everyday because we do not always have control over a situation and in some ways it is comforting to worry because we feel like worrying will help us get things accomplished in due time. The problem is that sometimes we have to stay calm and just do what we can to make the situation the best and we will see how things play out. Getting excited or worrying over small things can lead to a disaster and might even lead you to do things that actually hurt your chances of making it through successfully. I have tons of experience with that. But there is no need for me to worry about frivolous things because everything is in God's hands and he will take care of me no matter what.

Luke 12:22-26 states, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very thing, why do you worry about the rest?'  If God has control and we have given him everything then why do we need to worry? Well one reason is that it is in our human nature. However when we died to our old self and put on the new self, we have the ability to rid ourselves of certain behavior. Worry being one of those things. I worry about how to pay for school or where God is going to lead me because I have no control over those things. All I am doing though is adding unneeded stress to my life. If I just trusted God and knew accepted that he will make sure that I am successful and give me everything that I need, then there would be no need for worry. Every situation I face, he will be right there with me providing strength for me and helping me through it, it is all about how we react when put into a tight situation that we can find out how much trust we have in Him. The point He is making is that if the ravens can be taken care of when they do not do anything, why do we need to worry when we are giving him everything and giving him the praise he deserves? I know that I lose sight of this sometimes and I end up expelling energy on worry that could be used better elsewhere. I do not gain anything from worry because it just causes my mental state to go berserk. Worry can cause sweating, shaking, lack of focus, and elevated heart rates, this is definitely not good for our health especially if we worry a lot. We see that worry is not beneficial in any aspect and God understands that so he has clued us in that worrying is not worth our time.

Some things to think about and that will help you analyze your own life, "1. What situations make you nervous?, 2. How do you overcome the jitters?, 3. What does Jesus invite us to do when we are nervous." The last question I will address in tomorrow's post. I think it is a good question and I will research it tomorrow afternoon and gather some thoughts on it.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and are ready for another week that God has given us. Continue to seek him and continue to grow. If anyone needs prayer or wants to talk about my posts, feel free to add a comment or call/text me. My number is 480-292-1754. Please feel free to contact me anytime, if I am busy I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great night!

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson