Reading
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34
And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Luke 12:25-26,31
Reflection
Oh, the worry passages…are they familiar to you?
Matthew 6:34 and Luke 12:25-26 are the very first scriptures I remember memorizing on my own as a child. I was probably in fifth or sixth grade and had begun exploring the Bible on my own—looking for answers to big questions and concerns I had as a kid.
These two passages became touchpoints that I carried in my heart along with the literal worrystone I carried in my pocket.
On the surface, the passages seemed so simple and straightforward. Do not worry. But the more I tried not to worry, the more I felt like I was doing it wrong. The worry never seemed to dissipate.
As I entered adulthood, I learned to read many of Jesus’ sayings with a new lens. I began reading them as matter-of-fact truths about how reality works rather than a list of “should.” This realization helped me to let go of some of the guilt and shame I carried about not being able to “not worry” out of my own willpower.
It may sound counterintuitive, but it wasn’t until I had a major failure that I was truly set free from the crippling anxiety I had carried since childhood. My entire life I had avoided major failures by worrying about everything, creating contingency plans, overworking myself, and trying to control every little detail. But this pattern was not sustainable. On the outside, I had everything together, but inside I was drowning.
Then one day, everything started to unravel. In that moment, failure felt horrible. But as I walked through it, I was surrounded by people who extended me grace. In the midst of that season, I heard something on the radio that continues to help me put my worries into perspective. It said: “so far in your life, you’ve survived 100% of your worst days.”
Through it all, I learned that the “the worst thing” was survivable. Things fell apart in a big way, but I came through it with God’s help.
Learning to rest in God’s promises and surviving something that previously I would have thought would have been “the end of the world” has given me a freedom from anxiety I had never known—and sought for nearly thirty-five years.
So, I mean this in the nicest way possible—but I hope you fail.
If anxiety is robbing you of today’s joy, I hope you’ll give yourself the grace to let a few things slide and see what happens. You just might be surprised at how God and other people show up to help carry you through.
I’ll leave you with one more quote that continues to breathe freedom into my life:
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Corrie Ten Boom
Prayer
Lord, I know that you are in charge, but sometimes I forget. When I try desperately to hold all things together, help me to remember your promises. Give me the desire for freedom. Show me the places in my life where I need to let go and contend with failure so that I can experience your grace. I trust you to work all things for my good, even when it hurts. Amen.
