When
was the last time that you heard those verses from scripture? (John 14:1-3, 27;
15:9-11) I’ll bet that it was at a funeral. I read these texts all the time at
funerals that I conduct because family members who are grieving need to hear them.
Jesus’ reassurance that he has prepared a place for us in God’s kingdom, and
that he will take all of us there one day is a great comfort. But Jesus’ words
aren’t just for grieving families – they’re for all of us. “Don’t let your
hearts be troubled… I have told you this so that your joy may be complete.” Do
we take Jesus seriously? Nope. Most of the time, we let our hearts be very troubled. We hang on to our anxieties
like a dog with a chew bone, worrying and worrying and worrying some more. We
fixate on what might happen in the future and miss all the blessings of what’s
going on right now! For many people, the most powerful words in their
vocabulary are “What if…” What if this
happens? What if that happens?
I
remember a humorous segment from the radio show A Prairie Home Companion that was titled “Worst Case Scenario.” During
that segment, someone phoned the Worst Case Scenario hotline for assistance with
worrying. The episode went something like this:
“Worst
Case Scenario. How can I help you? You’re going on a trip and you’re wondering
what might go wrong? Very good, sir. May I ask where you’ll be traveling? Europe!
How nice for you! Will you be traveling by plane or by boat? Both! Ah, that
offers many possibilities! Just let me put your trip information into our
computer… And here it is, your personalized Worst Case Scenario worry plan!
When you arrive at the airport, the first
leg of your flight is delayed. When you get to the connecting airport, you need
to run to make your second flight. In your rush, you lose one of your shoes and
don’t have time to stop and pick it up. You make it onto the plane with only
one shoe just in time to board; but there is now no room for your carry-on
luggage, so you need to check it at the gate. Your seat is located in the
middle of the next to last row between two football players who both want to
use the armrests. One of them gets airsick during turbulence halfway through
the flight. Seated behind you is a screaming child who kicks the back of your
seat continually. The sanitary facilities on the plane are also out of order;
so you have to hold it for an hour and a half. When you get to your
destination, the airline has lost your luggage. Upon arrival at the ship, you
find that your reservation has also been lost, and you spend the rest of the day
arguing with the cruise line. By the time you are finally permitted to board
the ship, dinner has already been served. On the third day out, the ship takes
on water, and all passengers are sent to the lifeboats. The man sitting next to
you in the lifeboat not only has terrible body odor, but decides that this is
the time to make a running commentary on politics and religion. Your lifeboat
turns out to be defective and slowly sinks, depositing everyone in the water.
You are washed up on the shore of a country hostile to the United States; and
because you have lost your passport, you are arrested and sentenced to 10 years
in prison for being a spy.
How
does that Worst Case Scenario sound, sir? Wonderful, you’ll have plenty to
worry about while you’re on your trip! We hope to hear from you again in 10
years, right after your release from prison!”
Does
that sound like anyone you know? I thought that it might. (It might even sound
like you.) When we worry about things that are completely out of our control,
we let it spoil our appreciation of the blessings that we have! Even more than
that, worrying impacts our physical health. People who are chronic worriers are
more prone to suffer from heart disease, respiratory disorders, insomnia,
headaches, and intestinal ailments. The joy that Jesus wants for us can’t be complete
if we insist on worrying. Maybe we could sacrifice that useless worrying during
this Lenten period so that we can focus, instead, on all the blessings that we
have. Sacrificing our worry helps to build up our trust in the God who
promises to care for us like a mother hen cares for her baby chicks. But I know
that saying “Don’t worry” is like telling the sun not to rise. It’s part of our
nature as human beings. We know that we don’t have control of what
happens to us; and so we worry about it. We need God’s help to set those
worries aside. Fortunately, the Psalms are full of prayers for just that kind
of help; and they offer a model for us when we need God’s help to let go of our
useless worrying. As you move toward sacrificing your worrying this Lenten
season, try praying like many of the psalmists did.
First,
tell God what you are worried about. Lay it all out! Don’t omit anything! Are
you worried about your health? Your career? A relationship? Your finances? Tell
God about every single thing! God won’t judge you; God will have compassion for
you! After all, God created you and knows exactly how you feel. If you’re
worried and don’t admit it, you’re not fooling anybody but yourself.
Second,
thank God for what he has done for you in the past. That not only gets your
mind off your worries; it helps you to remember what has gone right in your life. And once you start
thinking about how God has cared for you, you’ll remember more and more. The
Old Testament does that all the time, reminding the Israelites that God brought
them out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness into the Promised Land.
God didn’t do all those things for them and then decide to take an extended
vacation leaving them to take care of themselves. God has taken care of us in
the past, so we can trust God to take care of us in the future!
Finally,
thank God for what he will do for
you! That is an act of faith that will help you draw closer to God. The book of
Hebrews says that “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about
what we don’t see.” (Hebrews 11:1) We don’t know what the future holds; so we
often assume that it will be terrible. Sure, experience tells us that life
isn’t always a bowl of cherries; but it also tells us that marvelous surprises
await us! Planning for the worst is probably a good idea; but why not anticipate
the best? God will help us through rough times, and offer us joy and the peace
that passes all understanding no matter what our circumstances may turn out to
be! Worrying steals both joy and peace from our lives and can leave us
depressed and sick. That's not how Jesus wants us to live!
During
this Lenten season – just until Easter – I invite you to sacrifice all your
worrying! Tell God about it… thank God for what he has done in the past… and
then thank God for what he is going to do in the future. By Easter, you may be
surprised to find that worrying no longer holds you prisoner. Wouldn’t THAT be
a wonderful resurrection surprise on Easter morning!
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