Today I have been dealing with worry and stress. My father’s
sister, AKA my aunt, had a heart attack recently and is doing fine after a
stint. Looks like the cholesterol problem is genetic and still is bad. Well
worry has hit our family and honestly there is not much we can do about it. We
either need to have faith in God, or drive ourselves to the grave.
So what does the Bible really say? Well Matthew 6:25-34 is
almost a cliché these days:
25 “Therefore
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what
you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look
at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And
which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about
clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil
nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith?31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What
shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the
Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them all.33 But seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added
to you.34 “Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)
Basically we have to either go with the flow or freak out.
It is really that simple … we see in this world stress causes more problems
with one’s health than the resulting actions one takes. I am not saying don’t
take action and “let God handle things”, but rather don’t freak out. It really
does nothing more than cause more problems with your unguided actions, lack of action and
personal health.
This is where the cliché comes in and why people can’t stand
this statement. But look at Paul, and others who had direct contact with Jesus.
They showed life is rough and worry does not help. Therefore, relax, be calm
and know that God is in charge!!
I am presently I am a degreed engineer working as a janitor,
no sign of work, living in paradise. I have mixed emotions, but worry is not
one since the decades of worry before did not help any. I am trying to find
work and loving the idea of cleaning toilets for the time. The only thing I am
working towards is health care … since it’s costly. But again I will wait
things out and see what’s next.