Your Spiritual Journey
Life is Challenging
LIFE IS CHALLENGING
Life sure can be challenging, can’t it? At home we worry about things like work, finances, kids and health. In our country we see divisiveness in everything from politics to education to entertainment. The world offers distressing news via pandemics and wars. How are we supposed to deal with all this stress and negativity everywhere we turn? How do we not just stay true to God but be that example we are expected to be? How can we be at peace when it feels like the world around us is on fire and all we have is a glass of water?
We all get stressed to varying degrees and about different things. Some subjects bother some folks more than they affect other people. What we all have in common is that the worry and stress sometimes get the better of us. Often, it can sneak up on us and even cause some serious health concerns compounding our stress. Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give us rest.” In Psalms 55:16-18 we read “…I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon, I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me…” And Peter tells us to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” in I Peter 5:7.
Okay, so we turn over our stress and anxiety to God? How do we do that? Philippians 4:6 tells us “…in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In other words, pray to God and ask Him for help with whatever is bothering you and thank Him for all that He has done for you already. Thank Him for the ability to earn a living that pays for your and your family’s needs. Thank Him that we can choose what “social norms” we want to follow. Thank Him that we have a world full of wonderous variety and different creations.
Yes, in this life, we can have more than our fair share of sorrows. We can choose to ignore some of them, especially those we have no control over, and we can take the rest to God knowing that He will always love us and provide refuge from all the storms we face.
James Passmore
