Worry

Jesus Take the Wheel

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Worrying over our grandchildren’s relationship with Jesus has been a recurring theme for me lately. When they were small things seemed pretty simple. We took them to church, prayed with them and at every opportunity made sure they had plenty of cookies. But now they are older things have changed. Some days it feels as if I am slogging through a mud bog, when I try to communicate even the basics of what it means to be a Christian. As I tossed and turned through another middle of the night worry session recently, God’s peace seemed light years away.

Then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that I wasn’t doing them or myself any good. While I had been trying to overwhelm them with good arguments or coax them towards an interest in Jesus, I was forgetting that ultimately that job is His and that He loves them way more than I do. It is hard to trust God with people who are the closest to us. Yielding control over our spouse, a child a grandchild or a friend means letting God take over. What we really need to do is like what Carrie Underwood sings, “Jesus take the wheel!” We need to release our grip so that God can steer. Jesus won’t rip the steering wheel away from us. He will allow us as many nights as we wish to toss and turn. But if we are worn out with worry and fed up with fear God is waiting and even longing for us to trust that He knows how to fix the situation better than we do. Only He has the strength to carry us our worries and has promised a peace that stretches from our anxious hour all the way to heaven!

Or gather into barns

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

When we lived on the farm we always busily canned and pickled our way through the summers. Sometimes we picked blackberries to make jelly or we put up green beans in the freezer. With all the work it was easy to forget to enjoy the summer. We felt constantly pressed because in the back of our minds, long cold winter days waited. Though it is biblical  to store abundance with an eye to the days ahead, Jesus warned us against worry. He knew that no matter how big our barns, there was something in our heart that says, “It isn’t going to last the Winter!” 

So, the great Teacher takes our focus off our need and directs us to the birds. They have been flying by, singing their songs and living every thrilling momp1020288ent, as if it were their last. The robin didn’t lie awake in her nest last night worrying when the first frost would come. The barn owl didn’t redouble his efforts at catching prey because he imagined that leaner times lay ahead.

Then Jesus asked a question to which He was sure that we would know the answer.

“Are you not of more value than they?”

Sometimes we forget that when Jesus laid down His life for us He was making a value judgement about. As He carried the cross up the final rise to Calvary He was saying, “You are worth it all to me!” Knowing we are worth so much to Him in the midst of pressure and worry we can look to Him and smile because we know we are in His care. No matter how long our winter may be our Father’s barn will always be big enough to hold all we need!