There is a lot of worrying going on. Confusion in our nation, frustrations at home, difficult people at work, and it goes on. So I need to fast from worries?? Let’s see, let’s make this personal. There’s full work load tomorrow, I have meals to prepare, I must get in exercise, and then there’s preparation for the following day, and my own time with Father, and . . . Okay . . . I’ll not worry. “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” If only I could. The challenge is to turn worry into trust. Trust who? The Matthew 5:24-34 passage makes it very clear. One Saturday as I was scurrying around trying to accomplish my to-do list, I noticed my little dog peacefully laying on the couch. I said something like, “Must be nice to be a dog,” as I turned the corner and then it occurred to me – why is he so relaxed? Because he trusts me to take care of his needs! I will do that because I care for him. Sound familiar? I need to be able to trust my Father will take care of all my needs and allow each day to be His day, not my day. Does that mean I can lay on the couch all day? No, it does not mean I don’t take responsibility – it means I don’t change anything by being anxious. Trust translates into humble submission to the One in charge who will give me strength for the day. Worrying is purely self-sufficiency in action. To change that into trusting my Father is to believe he knows I need all those things and asks that I seek His Kingdom (where He is King) and His righteousness and all those things will be added. The key is humble submission: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7).
Parents, when your children see your worry and anxiety, what is it teaching them about God the Father? Our actions teach much louder than our words to our little ones who live with us. If we truly trust in God, then why do we tend to act like He’s not taking care of us? Why are we trying so hard to do it all on our own? It is so much more than completing schedules as I indicated at the beginning of this article. It is about our hearts of faith. We will always have many things to do, but the temperament by which we carry them out is what will convince our children and grandchildren that we live by faith.