“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27 NIV
Do you know Alfred E. Newman, the freckled-faced kid with big ears and non-aligning eyes, who serves as the official symbol of MAD magazine? He offers sage advice in every issue. Without question his best known saying is “What, me worry?”
We laugh at his appearance and nonchalant attitude, but Alfred connects better with reality than most of us. The bottom line is that we aren’t supposed to worry! Not only is it good phycological advice, but it’s also something that Jesus Christ highly recommended! I figure that’s great counsel that we should follow.
Worry and fear go hand-in-hand. They are twin concerns that weigh us down.
I recall an excellent English proverb, but I do not know its author. It goes something like this: “Fear knocked on my door. Faith answered. No one was there.” Substitute “worry” for “fear” in this proverb, and the saying is still accurate.
Do you recall specific instances of worry in your life? I certainly do. No amount of thinking about what might happen ever changed anything. When looking back, I see that my worry proved unfounded. God is in control, and that will never change. To worry is to doubt His concern and love for us.
What is troubling you today? Does worry change anything about it at all? Get rid of your burdens today!
Prayer: Thank you, God, for eliminating the worry and fear that creep into our lives.
Amen.