Read Matthew 6:31-34

If you were to ask someone on the street, “What worries you?”, you could likely hear some of the following responses, if they were completely honest:

From the teenager: “I’m not sure I will make the grade or ever find someone to date!”

From the college grad: “I’m not sure I will ever get a job.”

From the new parents: “We aren’t sure how we will take care of this new life we were entrusted with.”

From the retiree: “Did I do enough to leave a lasting impact on my family and friends?”

You might just receive a common response that seems to be weighing on most people’s minds: “I just don’t know who is right to lead our country.” or “What will happen if myself or someone I know becomes sick?”.

There is not a lack of options for things that keep us up at night and occupy our thoughts. Some as minor as “Are the Browns ever going to be good?” to “I’m not sure if my business will ever recover from 2020”.

Telling yourself or someone else ‘Don’t worry’ is easier said than done.  The practice of turning off worry and turning on trust in Him takes time and dedication.  Anxiety and worry are the soul’s warning signal that it’s time to pray.  Whenever you start to feel a sense of panic that the situation is out of your control, stop, pray, and talk with Jesus…give Him all of your worries because He loves and wants to hear about what concerns us.

In today’s text, Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” The writer encourages us to daily reach out in prayer to Jesus and give Him those ‘troubles’ that seem to derail our thoughts and cause us to stress and worry.  The key to reducing our worry and changing our thoughts toward Him is trust.  Trust that He cares for you, trust that He wants what’s best for you, and trust that even when we feel like there isn’t an out, He will make a way.

Will we always get what we pray for? No, but pray for an open mind and talk honestly with God.  Ask for Him to give you understanding of His will.  When we ask for God to teach us, He will mold our mindset through the difficult times that could set us up to help that teenager, college grad, new parent, or retiree to get through that difficult circumstance or situation.  Look for those opportunities today to help someone in that worrisome stage of life you persevered through with Jesus’ help and offer to pray for and encourage that person.

Drew Hilty