Worry

Whenever I see a bird, it reminds me not to worry. It’s because of this passage in the Bible:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

This was from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, which tells us that worry is both unnecessary and unhelpful.

If I find myself worrying about something, I ask myself this question: Can I change it?

If the answer is yes, then do so as soon as possible. No need to worry. If the answer is no, then worrying about it is useless. If you’re not sure—pray about it, then trust God to guide you to a solution or acceptance of the situation. Again, no need to worry because God has promised to take care of all the needs of those who trust in him.

“God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NIV

It takes practice not to worry because we’re human—the only living being God made that is capable of worry. When I catch myself worrying or in other words, meditating on a problem or issue, I mindfully picture myself putting the problem in a box, covering it with a lid, tying a bow around it, and lifting it up to God to deal with. I take a deep breath and let it lift off my shoulders.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

How to pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for taking this worry from me. I pray for your good and perfect will in this situation. Help me recognize your hand in it and trust that you have it covered.

A cheerful giver

For God loves a cheerful giver – 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

If I had to pick one thing that I want to be known for, I think generosity would rank at the top. In one of my journalism classes in college, we were assigned to write our own obituary and the inscription on our tombstone. Talk about thought-provoking! I pictured that on my tombstone it would read: A loving and generous woman. But at that time, I knew I had to earn it.

Three things about generosity

First, it’s not just about giving money or things. Simple kindness to others is generosity. In fact, the very definition of generosity is—according to the dictionary—“the quality of being kind and generous.” You can be generous with your words, with your time, or by giving someone your attention.

Do not neglect to do good and share what you have – Hebrews 13:16

Secondly, the best form of generosity is when it’s not easy. It take less effort to be generous to those you love or to those who have been generous to you. Be generous when you don’t feel like it, or when you think someone doesn’t deserve it, and especially when you know it won’t likely be reciprocated. That’s when generosity is most valuable and worthwhile.

Read: Matthew 25: 34-40 NIV

Lastly, the more generous you are, the more God gives you to share… as you’ve heard me say—likely more than once. But here’s what I know to be true… God rewards generosity in abundance—with joy, with peace and prosperity.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed – Proverbs 11:25

The Bible

Some say that there’s no instruction book for living your life, but I disagree. The Bible not only explains life for us, but it explains God to us. It tells us about God’s design for marriage, friendship, and parenting—plus shows us how to live our lives with purpose and compassion.

The Bible was written over 1500 years and by 40 different writers. The newest part of the Bible – the New Testament – was written between 50 and 100 A.D. While many question the reliability of the Bible because it was written so long ago and translated into over 1,500 languages, it is amazingly accurate. Archaeological finds have repeatedly confirmed dates, places, kings and events written in the Bible. And, in 1947 when the Archaeologists found The Dead Sea Scrolls along Israel’s West Bank that was 1,000 years older than any version of the Old Testament we had at the time, comparing the versions unveiled 99.5% accuracy. The differences were minor spellings and sentence structure that didn’t change the meaning. (Side note: On my trip to Israel, I traveled several days with an Israeli man who accompanied the Dead Sea Scrolls to England to be translated.)

I remember a conversation I had with your Grandpa Ray about doubts that troubled him over the reliability of the Bible. Although I had not discovered the facts I just shared and I am certainly no theologian (bible expert), I shared with him and wholeheartedly believe this:

There is plenty to debate about the meaning of scripture. That’s why prayer and the Bible go hand in hand. There’s a reason why the Bible is described as God’s Word. It is because when we pray we are speaking to God; when we read the Bible, God is speaking to us. It’s critical that we pause, connect with God through prayer while reading the Bible. This is the only way to be assured that the message we are receiving is from God.

“For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37