Time is an Illusion

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Matthew 6:27

 How many of us are worried about the events currently being presented by the news?  How many are worried about health concerns?  How many are worried about the economy?  How many are worried about finances?  How many are just worried?

Let me ask you this, how has all that worrying helped you?  Or has it?

I'm going to be completely and openly honest, I was a worrier.  I worried about everything!  I worried about worrying because of today's verse.  And you know what? I was miserable and my health began to decline. Not only that, my mood turned dark and I began to snap at people and generally just be an irritable porcupine.

That began to change when I heard a sermon on "Time" where the pastor referenced two verses: "You have decided the length of our lives.  You know how many months we will live,    and we are not given a minute longer." - Job 14:3.  It was at that moment that I began to realize that Abba has already decided how long I will dwell on His Earth before being called home. AND there is nothing I can do to add or subtract a single breath.  Each one of us, like it or not, have been allotted our time and purpose on this Earth by Abba.  Therefore, we are to ask Abba: "So teach us to consider how brief our lives are, teach us to count minutes instead of hours or days, so that we might live wisely." - Psalm 90:12

Worry solves nothing, instead it causes damage. Worry is a weapon of the devil to take our eyes and trust off of Abba.  When we learn that He already has ever part of His plan for us working, we can let go of worry and learn to celebrate each moment and share His love with others.

Overthink Much?

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" - Matthew 6:25-27

We seem to have a habit called "Overthinking."  But we don't REALLY overthink things do we? 

'Well, perhaps."  "

Wait....not me!"  "

What have you heard?"

"Did someone tell you I was an overthinker? What did they say? How did they say it?"

This conversation would be extremely silly if it weren't true. We DO overthink! Then we begin to worry as the questions come faster and more intense; then we find we can't sleep; we can no longer focus; we become stressed; and eventually...depression and anxiety set in.

 We like to think things through from every angle and every direction until we think we've got it all figured out. Then what happens? All of our thinking blows away like smoke in the wind because what we figured out seldom works out as we thought it would.

Now, let me be absolutely clear as I address the face in the mirror: Overthinking is an IDOL! How? Because we become so incredibly focused on overthinking that we forget that Abba has already put everything in place.  ANYTHING, and I do mean anything, that takes our focus of of Abba is an idol! What do you think about that?

Another word for overthinking is WORRY! Look at today's passage: "Can all your worrying add a single moment to your life?"  Well....can it?  Worry adds nothing to our lives, instead it steals all the joy from our lives because we are so focused by our overthinking that we are blinded to everything Abba has given us.

Ask yourself this question when you are tempted to overthink: "Is Abba big enough to handle your situation or are we too small for Him to be bothered with us?"

 

 

 

Rest In God!

 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 

 

There was a time when I was quite the worrier.  I kept a "nervous" stomach which didn't exactly help my digestion.  I didn't sleep very well.  In fact, I was miserable!  It wasn't just one situation that I let cause me worry, it was my entire life.  Finally, I decided to talk with a pastor friend.  

 

After listening to me unload all that I could manage, he said "That quite a load you're carrying.  Let's play a game."  I remember saying out loud, "Dude, I JUST dumped my life out and you want to play a game?  Where did you go to Seminary?  Is THAT what they taught you?"  He just smiled and said, "This game will help you with all you are carrying."

 

He began by taking my issues one by one and asking me "What is the worst that can happen?"  I would answer, and ultimately reach the conclusion that the very worst that could happen is that I would die before resolving the situation.  When we had worked through my list of issues, he said "One last question...do you believe that God is in control? Do you believe that He will work out His plan in your life?"  I said, "Yes."  

 

His response stunned me: "If you REALLY believe that, then what have you got to worry about?  Stop letting the enemy get you to do God's job!  Let God do His job and you to your job of trusting Him!"   When we worry, when we let a situation bother us, when we let ANYTHING take our focus off of Him, we are trying to do God's job!   STOP IT!!

 

"But what if.....?"

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.

Matthew 10:28-29

 

The night before I was due to have my quadruple bypass surgery, I was not feeling exceptionally calm.  To be honest, I was terrified!  I tried reading my Bible, but just couldn't concentrate, although I "justified" that by blaming the nursing staff who came in frequently to check my vitals.  

 

One of the nurses took the time to stay and chat with me because he saw that I was upset (and my vitals apparently confirmed this). 

He said, "May I ask you something?" 

* I said, "Sure."  

He said, "Do you believe that book you're reading?"  

* I said, "Yes, of course."  

He said, "Then why are you so nervous?"

 *I said, "I could die!"

He said, "Yep, you could.  You could walk into the restroom, slip and hit your head and die. You could step off the curb and get hit by a bus. An airplane carrying an elephant could accidentally jettison the elephant which could land on you. Face it, we ALL are going to die. Our bodies weren't designed to live forever."

* I said, "You aren't helping.  I could die and what would happen to my family?"

He said, "You really DON'T believe the Bible then."

* I admit, I got a bit testy at that. "YES I DO!"

He said, "IF you do believe it, then you know that God will take care of everyone. We don't have to worry or be afraid."

 

Then he left me and my mind kicked into overdrive.  I really didn't have anything to fear or worry about. God has provided for His children since the dawn of time, why would He stop now? 

The news portrays grim situations.  That's what terrifies us, makes us afraid, and makes us nervous.  Yet God's word promises us that He loves us and takes care of us so we have nothing to fear.  Take precautions, of course, but don't let anything take our hearts off of God!

    

Trust Issues

I can't speak for anyone else, but I have a condition.  You see, my condition involves my overthinking, which causes my mind take the simple to outlandish extremes.  For example, let's say I am thirsty...I get a bottle of water, drink about half, then start running through my schedule for the day.  As I am running through my schedule, I imagine the length of time it takes me to drive to each place and trying to figure how long I will have before my medication makes my body insist on letting the water leave.  Therefore, without having actually moved an inch, I have already gone to an extreme.  I am getting a little better about not overthinking as much, but it still happens from time to time.

But when we focus on God, remembering that He has everything under control and there is nothing that will EVER surprise Him, we can rest in the knowledge that He's got us.  With that level of comfort comes peace in the knowledge that we don't have to worry or stress or be anxious about anything because we can give it to Him and He will accept it.

But you see, we have the habit of giving God everything that is bothering us...except we don't want to trust Him to deal with it so we take it back and then wonder why we are still stressed, depressed and anxious after we have prayed.  Well, it's because we aren't allowing God to do His job!  Think about that.

Are You UNAFRAID?

Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Matthew 6:32-33

Every day we are challenged to worry and be afraid of what may or may not happen.  Did God create us to worry and be afraid?  How many times in Scripture does God remind us to "Fear Not"?  How many times do we see in Scripture where God supplies the needs of His people?

How much time and energy do we expend worrying about things we can't control or really don't pertain to us?  We worry about what other people are doing or saying, but can we control any of that?  We are afraid of what in our past may suddenly come to light, yet can we change it?  We lose sleep over whether or not we will make it until the next paycheck, yet doesn't God honor a plan?  We fear losing our jobs; we worry about getting sick; we are full of fear, worry, anxiety and anguish...why?

Don't worry, I'm right there too.  I pray a lot about these things and God constantly reminds me that He's got everything under control.  This morning I was prompted to actually pray this prayer: "Abba, thank You for loving me and putting up with me.  Today, help me stay out of Your way and to be grateful as I witness Your care for me.  PLEASE keep me from trying to do Your job!"  And I have not felt such a peace as in that moment!

The Poison of Worry

²⁵ “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. ²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ²⁹ But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰ God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 

Matthew 6:25-30

WOW!  We worry A LOT about things that steal our joy for life from us.  Did you get that?  WORRY is a THIEF!!!  WORRY robs us of our joy!!!  WORRY is keeps us from enjoying life!! We worry about every point of our lives and guess what, we aren't the ones in control of every aspect of our lives.  We interact with others and in so doing we include another integer into the equation!

How do I know?  Because I worry too!  Have you ever noticed that Worry and Sorry are only 1 letter different?

Think of all the things we waste time worrying over:  Where will I eat lunch?  What should I wear to this even?  What if I say something stupid? (Who hasn't said something they thought was stupid?) 

We spend so much time worrying about what would happen if...  

*  What if the ground opens up and swallows me whole? If it does swallow you whole, how is worrying about it going to help you?

*  What if my tire goes flat?  How is worry going to stop your tire from going flat?

*   What if I buy tickets for this concert and I get stuck behind some obnoxious person?  Unless it is currently happening, how is worrying about it going to prevent it?

Two things we need to use to deal with Worry and remove its venom from our lives:

First....LOOK
²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

I have never seen a sleep deprived bird, nor have I ever seen a bird concerned about their schedule, where they will have lunch, or any of the other myriad of inconsequentials we fill our minds with every day!

Second.....CONSIDER

Consider how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 

The word "Consider" here means: "to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on"

Have you ever seen a flower filled with the venom of worry?  You never see flowers thumbing through catalogs or perusing the internet searching for what to wear.  

You see, when we let the poison of worry into our lives, we lose the truth that is all around us.  Next time you are tempted to worry (and I'm talking to myself as well), take a moment to look at the birds and consider the flowers.  Look and Consider!   

 

Sleepless? Is It My Bloodshot Eyes?

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 4:8 

 

Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night because you have so much on your mind that it's like having a jolt of electricity flowing through you?  Yep....me too.  And I admit that I have relied on sleep meds to deal with this issue.  Guess what?  They were a "hit or miss" when it came to sleep (they only seemed to work when I was so exhausted that I kept dozing off in my recliner).

 

God has a rather unique sense of humor.  There were times I would toss and turn for hours, then have the uncontrollable need to get up and chat with God around 2am.  First, I did all the talking and little listening.  I would unload everything that was on my mind.  Some times the more I unloaded, the more I discovered to be unloaded.  Finally when I finished unloading, I would begin to feel sleepy again and I can't prove I heard it, but I can't prove I didn't; I could swear I heard God chuckle and remind me that He's got me in His care.

 

Then, I would toddle off to bed and the next 4 hours were the best sleep ever.  You see, when we learn to START by letting God know exactly what is on our minds and hearts we will be amazed what a relief it is to turn everything over to the ONE who can take care of everything and us too!

 

Let's try it together.  That's right, I'm still learning too. 

Dust Off And Remember Who Is In Control

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

When has God ever told us that we should worry?  As a matter of fact, God reminds us to not worry, throw your worries away, be still and remember that He is really in control. And yet we worry anyway.  Why is that?  

Think about this, what do we have to worry about that will change our lives forever?  The things we tend to worry about are so insignificant in the God's plan for our lives, yet it is these tiny things that we focus our attention on instead of letting God handle it.

Here's the point for us to take with us, worry doesn't do anything for us except replace God in our lives.  When we worry, we are telling God that our issue is too much for even Him to handle.  Instead, my challenge for us today is every time we find ourselves worrying, immediately stop and tell God, "I'm glad YOU've got this instead of me!" And then find something else to think about.

Me?  I'm going to spend more time being thankful for each and every one of you!  Thank you for, not only reading these, but for making my life one where I praise God for bringing us together.  Thank you for the comfort.  Thank you for the smiles and laughs.  Thank you for letting me be your friend!

Over Thinking!

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 14:33

Ever notice that we have a tendency to over think things?  We become so fixated on what might have happened, what could have happened, that we ignore what actually happened.  Add to that the never ending commentary of those who were not present nor did they take an active part in the event, but instead wish to tell us how things SHOULD have happened.

Let's be honest, we are our own worst critics.  We will beat ourselves up afterwards, but in the moment we did what we believed was right.

On the flip side, we also waste a lot of time worrying about things that haven't even happened.  We spend sleepless nights imagining what might happen and then we take it to the worst possible scenario and panic sets in.

Why do we do this?  Yes, I do this quite a lot as well.  Jesus is telling us, in today's passage, that we need to deal with the reality of today!  Unless you have a time machine, you cannot undo what has been done.  And why waste today's energies worrying about what might happen tomorrow?

Whatever is on your mind, have a conversation with God about it.  It's His job to get us to our finish line and complete His plan for us.  Let Him do His job!

Heavy Weight Champion?

What happens when we are anxious about something?  Can you sleep?  How's your eating?  How's your thought process?  How are your relationships?

I am, by my own admission, a worrier who is anxious about everything that I worry about.

   *  Can I sleep? Not without medication and even then, not too well.
   *  How's my eating? I go from "can't eat enough" to "not hungry" to "tossing my cookies."
   *  How's my thought process?  My mind immediately goes through the worst possible outcomes and then takes them even further down the "worse" trail.
   *  How are my relationships?  Well, my Bride is longsuffering and understanding, because I tend to turn inward and shut people out when I feel anxious.  

Here's a little tidbit, when we are under stress and anxiety, our heart is effected.  No, our literal heart, the blood pumping muscle.  Why do you think Anxiety Medication usually makes you relax (and sometimes not care about anything)?  Because worry and anxiety are damaging to almost every aspect of our lives.

So what do we do to help when we feel anxious and/or worried?  
     1.  Remember that God is in control, tell Him what's bothering you and thank Him for dealing with it.
     2.  Find something different to distract your mind.  
     3.  Talk with someone about what you are experiencing.
     4.  If this is a chronic condition, speak with your physician.
     5.  Sometimes a hot shower or hot bath will help.  If your gym has a steam room, use it.
     6.  Sometimes a massage will help.
     7.  Understand that you are not the only person going through worry and anxiety.

The one thing that I have learned, and am still learning, is that when I worry or feel anxious about something I cannot control, I am trying to do God's job.  I have to be reminded that God is not surprised by my situation and has already worked out a solution that will ultimately benefit me and Glorify Him!  
     

New Math

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

 

I was never very good at math.  Once I ran out of fingers and toes, I was done.  And the ever dreaded Word Problems..... forgive me the nasty little flashback.....I just heard in my mind, "If a train leave from Boston traveling to Dallas at a rate of 85 mph, and another train leaves from Portland traveling to Baton Rouge at a rate of 73 mph, what color is the dog in Phoenix?"  I wondered how a train just suddenly begins its journey at such a high rate of speed!  I also wondered why anyone on either train would wonder why Phoenix apparently had only one dog.  So you can imagine how excited my math teachers were when I would raise my hand to ask a question.

One of the joys of my job is that I have the opportunity to teach new police officers...impart some of my wisdom, if you will.  Okay, I get to share with them from my years of screwing up life...but it's still pretty exciting for me.  One of the classes I am allowed to teach is Law Enforcement Stress Awareness, whereby these new officers (some of them actually stay awake) that you WILL encounter stress in your lives.  Huh......who would have thought that we will encounter stress in our lives?

And here's the kicker, what causes me to worry and stress might not bother you at all.  BUT if you are a good friend, you'll notice that it is bothering me and, at the very least, sit with me to let me voice it.

Now comes the dreaded "Word Problem."  You are having a great day.  Then you receive some news that you don't like (insert your own worrisome issue here).  Now have a choice, let that news item consume you and you spend sleepless nights and zombie-like days worrying about the issue; or you can change what you can and accept that you cannot change some things.

 

Worry will steal you joy if you let it.  I learned, and am still learning, that it's my reaction (how I handle) the situations of life that will determine if my joy is stolen from me or not.   All my worrying will not add a single cent to my bank account.  All my worrying will not heal a single health concern.  All my worrying will not make me taller.  All my worrying will not make me better looking.  All my worrying does is steal my joy.  Worry takes our eyes off Christ and THAT is when our joy evaporates!

 

God Is How Big?

And we know that God causes everything to work

 together for the good of those who love God and are 

called according to his purpose for them.

~Romans 8:28

 

 

This verse seems to be unclear for many, so let's take a look at it.  How big is God to you?  Is God only God when you think you need Him?  Is God only God when you find yourself on the horns of a dilemma? Is God the one you say "thank you" to at mealtime?  Is God the one you call to when things are not going according to your plan?  Is God surprised by the things we do, think, or say?  Is God ever taken off guard?  Can we hide from God?

 

Let me be blunt...

     * God is the God who spoke the entirety of everything into creation.  

     * God is the God who took dust, shaped it, and breathed life into it and called his breath bag "Adam."  

     * God is the one who told the sea that they can only come so far and no farther.  

     * God is the one who named every single star.  

     * God is the one who knows exactly how many hairs you have.  

     * God is the one who satan has to report to, and God also has set limits on satan (not to mention has already defeated him). 

     * God is the one who knows everything about everything because He made everything.

     * God is the one who tells us not to worry because He has everything under control.

     * God is the one who reminds us to let Him fight our battles for us.

     * God is the one who has never lied.

     * God is the one who cannot be defeated.

     * God is a LOT smarter than we could ever hope to be.

     * God is ALWAYS with us even when we can't see Him because we are focused on our storms.

     * God is the God who takes our screw-ups, mistakes, blunders, and outright defiant rebellion and works it all for OUR good.

     * God is the one who woke you up this morning (and let you see the world around you).

     * God is the one who created all those amazing place we dream about going to relax.

     * God is the one who put the mountains in their place in such a way as to direct the winds.

     * God is also the one who put beaches at the edge of the ocean to draw us there.

     * God is the one who CALLS US BY NAME and loves us more than we will ever understand or appreciate.  He loves us IN SPITE of ourselves.

 

So let me ask you again, "Just how big is YOUR God?"

No Worry Required!

 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

 

Worry....it is one of the biggest thieves of our lives.  Don't think so?  

• How much time do we waste worrying about what other people think? 
• How much time do we waste worrying about how we look?
• How much time do we waste worrying about how we are going to make it through the month?
• How much time do we waste worrying about our future?
• How much time do we waste worrying about our past (especially the parts we hope no one ever finds out about)?
• How much time do we waste worrying about things we have no control over?

Why do we worry?  If we can do something to fix our situation...do it.  No worry required!

If there is nothing we can do to fix our situation...tuck and roll.  No worry will fix it!

 

Worry leads to stress and anxiety.  Stress and anxiety lead to such things as hives, rashes, insomnia, digestive issues, high blood pressure, mental issues, and even heart attacks.  So....is worrying really worth it?

 

Guess what?  Most of the things we waste time worrying over NEVER happen!  Talk about wasted time and effort!

 

Remember: If you can fix it, do it.  If you can't fix it, accept it.  NO WORRY REQUIRED!  

What's Got You All Bugged Today?

So don’t worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will bring its own worries. 

Today’s trouble is enough for today. 

~Matthew 6:34

 

If you read the news, watch the news, or in some other form take in the news, you hear a lot about how the world seems to be falling apart.  The events of late tell of a society where rules have become suggestions.  More and more laws are being called for on one side, without realizing that these laws are going to be difficult to enforce.  On the other side, we have groups calling for laws to be done away with because they infringe on "personal freedoms."  If you take all this at face value, you will find yourself upset and worried about the future.

 

We are a worrying bunch of people, aren't we?  We are worried and upset about things that we cannot control.  We are worried and upset about things that may or may not happen at some undetermined point in the vague distant future.  We worry about everything and it is not good for us!!!

 

I've explained this before and I am going to explain it again, mainly because I need the reminder and you have to come along with me.

 

As a general rule of thumb, God created each of us with two eyes which are placed in the FRONT of our face.  We can see what is happening in front of us as we are going (but that is no guarantee that we will be any less clumsy).  Now God could have put our eyes in the BACK of our heads.  While that might seem silly and stupid, how many people waste time focusing on the past?  Hmmm....not so stupid now, huh?  

 

As a general rule of thumb, God gave us one nose, also in the front.  Now....how many breaths can you take at one time?  ONE!  Why? Because God has created life so that it only comes at us one breath at a time!

 

A perfect rule of thumb is found in the Serenity Prayer: "Lord help me to accept those things I cannot change; the courage to change those things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."

 

Jesus told us not to worry!  Several times in Scripture we are told not to worry.  Focus on God, do what is right, and don't worry!