As I have been transitioning and moving from Oklahoma to Minnesota, my wife, Colleen, and our two children, Ezra (10 Months) and Joash (6 Years) are living in Oklahoma so Joash can finish school for the year. There have been some challenges, as it seems as if the moment I left 3 weeks ago, everything in the house started falling apart. One big worry was our van, which has started to make a horrible thumping noise when shifted in reverse.
That’s when the worry started. My first thought was that the transmission needed to be replaced. I know that’s expensive. I looked online and saw that the make and model of my van was notorious for having transmission problems. My wife is going to get stranded in the middle of nowhere and I won’t be there to help her and when we tow it to the repair shop it is going to cost an arm and a leg and…   Isn’t it funny that when we start to worry, it is so hard to stop? You can always take the worry to the next level and fall down a slippery slope into a pit of despair.
So, how do we get off the worry slope, and as far away from the despair pit as possible?
Jesus tells you this in Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
And, check this out from Luke 12:15
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Think about that worry that is consuming your life right now. Worry is just thinking about something that we don’t really have control over, and our over-analyzing won’t help anything.
Here are your two options you have when presented with a problem:
- WORRY!
- Pray for guidance, ACT, then thank God for the results.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phillipians 4:6)
I finally transitioned from option 1 to option 2 with my van… and God worked a miracle in my life (as usual!)
I bring it to the shop, and get the word back that it wasn’t the transmission! It was something MUCH cheaper.
So next time you get that call with the bad news, or the car makes a funny sound, or your child says “mom, we need to talk.” Skip the worry slope altogether and remember to Pray, Act, and Thank God for the results!
