The Final Picture

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by worry, stress and anxiety that you feel as though you are drowning? My best friend has really been struggling with feelings of inadequacy, doubt, pain, and worthlessness due to situations. She feels overwhelmed and I envision her as though she is drowning and struggling for air. She is in a fight for her happiness, her joy and her future. As her best friend, I carry the burden with her because no one should ever be alone in their seasons. If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is to love people unconditionally, encourage them selflessly and serve relentlessly. As I was talking with her yesterday, I became so frustrated that I could not fix her problems. For those of you who know me, you know that mercy and encouragement are my biggest strengths. You may also know that I am a fixer. Deep inside me, in the core of who I am, I have been called to help people. Since I was a little kid, people have come up to me for advice, encouragement and for an ear to listen. I have heard many stories of brokenness, excruciating pain, hopelessness, anger…you name it! I have walked with these people in their seasons and have seen joy make its glorious return. I have heard so many stories of laughter, happiness and hope that my heart leaps at how no matter the season we are in; we are overcomers! My calling is to pastor and help people in every journey, every season and every hardship they may encounter. In this calling, God has to continually remind me that I am a vessel He uses but overall He is the fixer, He is the healer.  Of course, I know that it is God who fixes, but I get so frustrated when I cannot see the full solution that I know God has planned out.  I know that God’s will is ALWAYS the best in our lives. I know that in the end all things work for the good of those who love him. However, there is a difference between knowing this and always trusting God’s hands on your life. Which I truly think is where most of us struggle. Part of living in a fallen world where people constantly break trust, is learning how to fully trust God when we are unable to see. When the storm comes, the rain pours and the wind roars trusting becomes difficult. I think as humans, we like to know exactly what is in front of us at all times. A few weeks ago, I got my oil changed and they offered me a free car wash. I have never been in a car wash so of course I agreed. My friend Cody and my sister were in the car with me. As soon as I pulled my vehicle into the carwash, I was not the happiest camper. Once the soap suds made it impossible to see what was happening in front of me, I began to experience fear. I know this sounds silly, but I hate not seeing what is in front of me, especially while in a vehicle. It is a control issue that makes it difficult for me to trust my surroundings. Of course, I made it through like a champ but I decided to just wash my own car from now on. In the same way, I believe as Christians and as human beings we have a problem with trusting God because we are unable to see the final picture. It is a huge responsibility we take upon ourselves and I just know God is sitting there saying “just trust me! I got this taken care of!” I am constantly reminded of the passage in Matthew 6:25-34

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

As I am typing this, I am worrying about paying a speeding ticket that I received and lost the court battle in. I am worrying about how I will pay off my loans in the next coming months, I am worrying about my future and how I will ever become what God has called me to be. I read a statistic recently that said we have spent 92% of our emotional energies over things that won’t happen or on things we can’t change. When we worry we become emotionally and physically exhausted because stress has the ability to completely drain us. Yet, even though we know in our heads God is for us, we know His way is always going to lead to life, we continually stress. It does not take much to happen to cause anxiety, in fact for those of us who have a need to know exactly what is going to happen, one little thing changing from how we planned can cause major anxiety. I am not huge on planning but I know many people who are massive planners and things need to happen exactly how they planned or they feel inadequate. As a society, we create ridiculously high expectations for ourselves and when we do not live up to those expectations we hurt. It is a struggle we all deal with, myself included. So how do we overcome this worry that causes the waves to seem unbearable?  

Trust in God. Believe that HE will take care of You. Seek His face. Live in the PROMISES that He has given you. Live in the victory. Be an overcomer. CHOOSE life and life more abundantly.

It is not an easy task to simply trust God and it will be a battle we face every single day. When we worry it not only affects our thoughts but it also affects our circulation, the heart, the glands and the whole nervous system. When the emotional and mental worry seeps into physical reactions, people can feel defeated. What I have learned to help me when I am worrying is to not only to think about how this situation can help someone, but to think how I can grow and become a better person through it. In my worries, I choose to set my mind on higher grounds. God is greater.

Philippians 4:8

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”