Stat Counter

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Does God Ever Worry?

Does God ever worry? Seasoned Christians know the answer. It is most defiantly no. The Bible certainly has a lot to say on the subject, and it can be summed up in one simple contraction... DON'T. Many verses speak on the subject with great clarity. In Matthew 6 Jesus threw out some total pearls on the subject. He asked, "who can add a single hour to his life by worrying?" Christ also simply said don't worry about things because if God is caring for the small things, He will also care for you. Sometimes the word worry is replaced in verses by what we should be doing; which is considering our trials as pure joy. Okay God, you had me at don't worry, but joy?
I mean, does your life sometimes seem like a bad country and western song too? What person calls up a friend and says, "Yeah, my car died this week, my child is having a hard time in math class, and best of all I just had a fight with my husband!" Man! If troubles equal joy, that would be a euphoric day! Honestly, I don't think that is quite what God meant. We may give lip service and say not to worry. Unfortunately, at times proclamations of, "I'm okay" leave our lips but never quite reache our hearts. Certain issues are a real challenge for us. Our challenge to not worry could be either because of our past, or it could be because we have many circumstances all boiling at one time. So, let me ask the question again. Does God ever worry? Perhaps that might be the wrong question. Maybe a more precise question is, "Why do we treat God like He should worry?"
I wrote a few blogs ago that it is silly to think God is up in heaven going, "Oh no! something horrible has happened! How will we ever make it?!!" That is ludicrous! God is the Alpha and the Omega. He knows all and sees all. He wrote the first of this world into being and He will write the last and beyond. God owns everything, and at the point of dying on the cross, Christ stayed to save us and have God calls us His Children. So, why do we treat God like He should worry? It might be because we can not imagine that anyone would have the ability to grasp the direness of the situation or frankly spend the "full on" time we can worrying... I mean "caring" about our problems . When in fact, God has knowledge before the trial and beyond that trial. If God doesn't act "quickly enough", in our worry we start to "remind" Him of our needs. I have named this "The Car Keys Problem."
The Car Keys Problem is, because we worry, we are snatching the car keys of our life off the table and taking our own lives for a ride (in that area). When we get sick of that, we put the keys back on the table and say, "Here you go God." If God takes to long,we snatch the keys back. And so it goes until we either finally put the keys totally into God's hands, or we drive our "car" off a cliff and need God to heal us from a wreak that frankly didn't have to happen. You may be thinking, "Why Debbie! How did you reach such a heavenly minded state of not worrying?" Well, I have a confession. Left to my own demise I am a worrier. In fact, I have a PhD in worry.

One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is a powerful verse that says nothing is too much to handle through God. Nevertheless, there is a funny plaque that sarcastically skews that verse. It says, "God I know you never give me anymore than I can handle, but I wish you didn't trust me so much." That my friend is worry. It is being overwhelmed at not having all the answers or any answer at all. As pastor's wives we can get caught up in worry. Worry for our family, worry for others, and worry for issues at the church. So why shouldn't we worry? Well, I think God gives us a very simple reason, and a very faithful promise. James 1:2 tells us to consider it pure joy, but it is in verses 3 and 4 that we discover that the process develops perseverance, and that perseverance leads to spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is an ongoing a-ha moment. It is that look an old person gives when you tell them your problem and they give you a look back that says been there / done than / made it through. Spiritual maturity is having peace in peace-less times, and faith in even the darkest of times.

We have a teenager and our daughter is months away from also entering "that special time." Do you know what one of the hardest things about being a Christian parent of a teen can be? It is having these brief flashes of reality that we sometimes treat God like we are spiritual teenagers. I have great kids, but don't fool yourself! They have an agenda. Whether it is going to a friends house, or staying up late, or "needing" something; they are in full "please can I mom" mode. Today my son was at a friend's house, and I was picking him up to go do something fun with his dad (no it really was cool). He had said yes the other day, but was in total ninja mode with his words trying his best to stay at his friends when I came to pick him up. His dad had set this time aside and frankly they needed some father and son time. I was getting the "worst mother ever stare" as I drove him home, and he was not considering it "pure joy" when faced with the trial of HAVING FUN! He went, and when they got home you could just see in his face and body language that he had a good time. Later I heard him ask his dad a question that made me know he had a good time.

If we had given into what he thought he needed, he would have missed out on what he really needed. God cares for each one of us, and like a good shepherd He goes looking for the one who has strayed away. He is never casual about what we are going through. We have His full attention. The quest is for us to have our full attention on Him.

As a worrier it is good to have some verses tucked away. I really like Jeremiah 29:11. God is promising His people a hope and a future! I hold to that promise. That hope may or may not look like anything I imagine, but a future through Christ is a future with God's peace.
Today, a letter came in the mail. it said that the place our church has been renting for a long time (on the Campus of a major University) is being torn down. We have 6 weeks people to find a temporary or new place to meet. Can I tell you what this worrier did? I smiled, lifted my hands, and said, "Hallelujah, thank you God!" I would not have done that years ago, but I know that letter didn't catch God by surprise. I know He has an answer and we just need to seek Him to find it. In fact, I think it is really awesome that He is shaking us up.

I don't know your worries or if you have been seeking answers for a long time. I am praying for you and everyone who visits this site that the Holy Spirit will use this time to let you know you are not alone. I don't know what form your answer will come. I know this, God loves us. He will answer, and worry takes not just hours, but years off of our lives.

If... God is enough. I AM loves you, and was dying to let you know how much. He certainly didn't die and rise to defeat death to make His children lead a wandering life. Please put those "car keys" down, and pray believing God will answer. He will.

Psalm 9:9-11 (NKJV)
"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed.
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in you;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to the Lord. who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people."

No comments:

Post a Comment