I watched anxiety darken her face. Where would the money come from?
Our family budget has taken a severe hit over the last five years. Recently, we
struggled through a summer without the income my wife was receiving from keeping
an afterschool child. As the start of the new school year approached, she was
informed her services were no longer required. A change in jobs had eliminated
the necessity for afterschool care. Now what?
While we were worrying, God was working. Having recently changed churches, we
were now attending a church that needed a custodian. Though there wasn’t money
in the budget to hire one, several individuals in the church pledged enough to
hire someone. We were hired. And the pay? Exactly what my wife had previously
earned.
In spite of God’s warning, I tend to hold onto my cares and worries instead of
giving them to him. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about
you" (I Peter 5:7 NLT).
I’ve bumped into many anxious situations in my lifetime, but I’ve learned to
pass through them knowing God wasn’t the author. This enables me to view and
respond to them differently. My circumstances are never out of control when
God’s in control. Nor does God allow anything designed to arouse worry and
anxiety.
Satan is the troubler of my mind, emotions, and experiences. He knows he can’t
steal my eternal security, so he attempts to rob my peace by sending a few
trials and uncertainties. The proper response—even though I must continually
remind myself, is to give my worries and cares to God. He cares for me; Satan
doesn’t. When I respond properly to troubling situations, others are impressed,
my light for Christ shines brightly, and my faith explodes.
Are you giving your anxieties to God or attempting to carry them yourself?
Prayer: Merciful Father, when anxious moments make an appearance in our life,
give us enough faith to turn them over to You and not worry.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
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