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Bits & Pieces (August 6)

May the joy of the Lord be your strength today, and may we find our security and confidence in Him alone.

  • Television’s boundary-smashing pioneer turns 100 – I had heard of Norman Lear before but did not know much about him. This article by Al Mohler was illuminating, for what I learned about the man and the reminder of how profoundly entertainment can impact cultural norms.

  • Calm Under Pressure: Recovering the Grace of Equanimity – “We’re living in times that condition us to overreact and explode, in a society that rewards outrage and outbursts. It’s never been easy for sinners to keep even tempers in trial, but present distresses summon us afresh to learn composure under pressure, how to “hold our peace” when the moment requires it, and give release to emotion in its proper time and place.”

  • New Resolve after 55 Years in My Wheelchair – This is a truly lovely reflection from Joni Eareckson Tada who writes, “What else could be more important than practicing Christianity, with sleeves rolled up, among the needy? When I do become tired, I’m inspired by the life of Jesus who, even as he was nailed on his cross and in great pain, nevertheless kept serving others…”

  • Will Our Life’s Work Continue in Heaven? – Randy Alcorn writes about our work in heaven, and reminds us that in eternity we can expect a much different working environment. As he states, “Because our minds and bodies will never fade and because we will never lack resources or opportunity, our work won’t degenerate.”

  • God is Beyond and Behind the Enormous Universe – “Our God, who spoke trillions of stars into existence, is somehow and in some way not only beyond the most distant galaxies but around them, and through them, in a hands-on way. As difficult as it is to comprehend the enormity of the universe, it’s even more difficult to understand that God is bigger than it and beyond it.

  • Where Are You? – “Adam, standing in the ashes of a world to which he had set fire, huddles, hidden in incomplete makeshift clothes. And yet he hears good news, the Father’s haunting, searching words, ‘Adam, where are you?’”

Earlier this week on the blog: Preparing Parents for College

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Growth

What Happens When We Worry

When I was much younger, I used to tell people I was a “champion worrier.” (I had to be careful when I articulated this though because without careful enunciation it sounds remarkably like “champion warrior.”) Then a day came when I realized that this was akin to bragging that I was a “champion sinner.” The statement was true, but it instead of being boastful about it, I should have been chagrined. Jesus is clear that His children are not to worry (Mt 6:25-34); what I thought of as an ability to anticipate and think through potential negative events, had become a complacency, and even satisfaction with, my tendency to take on burdens that were not mine to carry. As a child of God, my job is to cast my anxiety on to Him knowing that He cares for me (I Peter 5:7). 

One of the reasons Jesus tells us not to worry is because worry does not actually accomplish anything (Lk 12:25-31). Not only does it indicate that I am trusting in myself rather than God, but it is also a futile endeavor, not producing any useful outcomes. In his little book, Living Without Worry. Timothy Lane reminds us that there are additional negative results of an anxious life. Those who worry are inclined to greater health problems, and worry impacts our relationships and out ministry. As Lane writes: 

Worrying may appear to be an effective coping skill and it may even make you feel “safe,” but it will not produce fruit in your life. You will find yourself not taking opportunities that God is laying in front of you, because you are trapped worrying about what might go wrong. You may find yourself holding back in relationships with others, failing to love and serve them, because you are worrying about getting hurt. And as we have already said, you may find that worrying is affecting your ability to sleep or impacting your health. [p. 13-14] 

Did you catch that? When we worry, we are not only indicating a lack of trust in God, but a preoccupation with our own thoughts and concerns may prevent us from effectively serving others. Christians have been called to love God and love people (Mt. 25:34-40); worry inhibits our ability to do both. 

Precious saint – the Bible is clear; worry has no place in the life of the child of the King. If your heart is filled with anxiety, your capacity to love God and love others well will be diminished. A life without worry may sound impossible, but if we couldn’t cast all our anxiety on God, He would not have commanded us to do so. Let us fully and completely place our trust in Him – focusing our thoughts and our affections on how we can serve Him and others more and relying on Him to take care of what we desire and what we need. 

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