April 9

Deuteronomy 33

Luke 13:1-21

Psalm 78:65-72

Proverbs 12:25

"Worry weighs a person down;

an encouraging word cheers a person up."

Proverbs 12:25

One of my biggest struggles is worry. As I've shared before, I worry about everything. My mind will so easily go to the worst-case scenario and worry will consume my thoughts. These are the times that it starts to effect me physically. I get headaches, upset stomach, a stiff neck, tightness in my jaw (just to name a few). Some people thrive under pressure. I am not one those people. For example, if you ever see me on a Sunday morning before the service starts and I quickly walk right by you without saying hello, it's probably because I'm so worried about some minor detail in the service (are the song slides correct, is the order of the service correct, who's doing announcements...) that I don't even stop to notice the people around me. 

Another word that I would use to describe this is paralyzed. I feel a heaviness around me, like I can't move, like there is no way out of the situation. When I read the proverb for today, I thought "That's it! That's how it feels." I feel weighed down, like I'm carrying around a burden and I don't have the strength to keep going.

God doesn't wanted us to worry because He knows it will weigh us down. Also, worry shows lack of trust. Since we know that God is in control of everything, then we have no reason to be afraid. In Matthew 6, Jesus says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

So how do we overcome this burden of worry? Pour our your heart to God, focus on His promises, remember the times that God has brought you through past struggles, reach out to a friend. The second part of this proverb tells us that encouraging words will lift you up. If you know someone who is weighed down by worry, a kind word from you can go a long way in freeing them from that burden.