When We Worry
And some tips on how to manage it when it comes.
I find it interesting that I don’t worry about yesterday.
There is nothing I can do about what’s behind me. That ship has sailed.
I don’t worry in the present either except if I become idle and allow my mind to wander off into the land of what if’s. As I learn to live and operate primarily in the present, I then find I have the opportunity to make important helpful choices.
My concerns (a gentle way to say fears) are about what lies ahead - the great unknown beyond my control. This is where frets and worries accumulate disturbing the opportunity to live happily right now.
This is what makes faith a critical component for abundant living.
Most of the time when the subject of faith comes up it is considered in the abstract and not of practical importance.
For this reason faith is unappreciated for being able to improve the quality of our living experience instantly.
Here’s why.
Faith is the antidote for fear.
Please allow this to really sink in.
Think about living with less anxiety and better sleep. It is the opportunity to breath heaven’s air here on earth. Right now.
But faith is not a gimmick and it isn’t the absence of doubts.
In fact, doubts are one of its vital components.
Doubts mean you aren’t sure.
Faith is not pretending to be sure about anything either.
Faith is choosing to trust.
As True Love chooses to pursue the Beloved, Faith is the choice of the Beloved to trust the True Lover’s faithfulness, in spite of any and all evidence to the opposite.
Faith operates in the atmosphere of uncertainty and the fear it produces.
It does not make it go away, it redirects the heart of the Beloved back to thinking about a binding relationship that will last beyond time, beyond any threats otherwise.
Faith operates to manage the unknown future by reminding us of God’s past faithfulness so we can decide to trust beyond our physical senses that He has our back.
Living by faith rather than fear looks like courage to the outside world. Inside it feels like love, peace, and joy.
Having faith in the goodness of God enables us to keep our pulses steady and our blood pressures under control while others might be panicking around us.
It opens a space for humor, joy, and peace in the middle of every storm and it opens our eyes to opportunities to share this same faith opportunity with others still in grip of fear.