“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”- Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV
The nighttime sounds of the house filled my ears. The furnace cycled in and out. The digital clock lit the dark room, and my mind whirred like a blender. I didn’t know how to manage the next several weeks because of many commitments and responsibilities. When I’m stressed, my mind becomes a battleground, and the war occurs at night when I want to sleep.
Thoughts of I’m not good enough, I’m all alone, and I’m going to screw up explode in my mind. I counterattack with positive affirmations like I am enough, I can do this, and I don’t have to be perfect. And yet, the unwanted, discouraging thoughts keep coming like a tank bent on destroying my peace and confidence. Worry wins and robs my todays of their beauty and goodness. One of the original meanings of worry is to gnaw. Our family’s dog loved to gnaw on his bone, but the more time he spent outside, the less he gnawed on his bone.
Sometimes when worrying, I spend too much time in my head. I entertain “what-ifs” and “what-thens,” creating made-up scenarios where my worst fears come to life. They play across the movie screen of my mind, and I try in vain to shut it off. Jesus gives us wise words about worry in Matthew 6:25-34. He doesn’t tell us it’s wrong to plan to provide for future physical needs. Instead, he addresses the worry that reveals a lack of faith in God’s love and care. Within this passage, we discover how worry prevents faith from growing. It stands in the way of seeking God and his righteousness with our whole hearts. When we focus on who God is and what’s important to him, we find freedom from worry.
Read the full devotional here.
Video created by Kayla Koslosky
Photo courtesy: ©SWN Design/Soundstripe Library
Video courtesy: ©Soundstripe library, Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko