“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
Luke 21:34-35 NLT
I have to admit that worry is a problem for me. I had an expert to learn from. My mother was a champion. If someone told her not to worry about something, her response was, “Well, somebody has to!” That’s not what Jesus thought.
Jesus put worry on the same short list as drunken revelry. It’s been over 45 years since my last drink or drug, but it’s hard to go 45 minutes without allowing my mind to slip into an obsessive repetition of “what if?” It’s an intoxicant that hardens the heart to God and roils the emotions.
Here, Jesus says it can dull your heart. He once told Martha that it caused her to miss the blessing of His presence with her (Luke 10:41-42). In the Parable of the Sower, He says it can make the Word unfruitful in your life (Matthew 13:22). In the Sermon on the Mount, He compares it to idolatry (Matthew 6:24-34). These are serious issues!
As we go to the gathering of the saints, let’s do what Jesus said: “Watch out!” Watch out for the committee meeting in your head that creates fear in your heart. Don’t let it steal the Word from you. Don’t let it keep you from recognizing and enjoying God’s presence in the house. Don’t spend your time in the house of God with your heart and mind serving someone else.
Peter gave some good advice on the subject:
In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
1 Peter 5:5-9 NLT
- Focus on right relationships with others in the Body. God put them (and you) there for a reason.
- Humble yourself by submitting to the power of God rather than trusting in your own strength and wisdom. You really can’t do it on your own.
- Consciously, out loud, give your concerns to God and recognize His genuine desire to help you. You say He loves you, so act like it!
- Pay attention to the lies that the devil brings into your thought life. Don’t just ignore it and hope it goes away.
- Using the Name of Jesus and the written Word, resist every thought that denies what God has said in His Word.
- Don’t worry, be happy!
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