A New Perspective
Worry comes from the old English term, wrygan, which means "to choke or strangle". Worry can creep into our lives and strangle us. Jesus says and Mark 4:19 "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful."
Each of us is tempted by the desires of the world. For some, it's clothes or cars. For others, it's a relationship or a career. All of us battle selfish desires to see, measure, and own the tangible possessions of the world.
Do you worry about keeping your possessions, health, status, or position in life? Jesus tells us to change our focus.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:19–21
The eternal perspective has practical applications. Here are five steps each of us can take to diagnose and analyze our worries.
In paintings, artist use perspective to portray different views of the same object. As Christians, there is only one perspective we must have – the perspective of eternity. The perspective sets the tone for a lives. All our daily actions can be carried out against the background of eternity. Every decision, every action, every thought, every attitude is based on our eternal life through Christ. We are in engulfed by him and our lives are intertwined with Him forever. Meditating on the spiritual reality will help us to more deeply appreciate our Savior and Lord. As we humbly bow before him and expressing our love and admiration for His sovereign care for our souls, we will be overwhelmed with his love and peace. In His strength we can face all of life‘s challenges without fear or worry.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
Paul writes that everything he does on earth is to glorify the person of Jesus Christ. And when he dies we will be with Christ for eternity so it makes no difference. If Christ is in everything we do, we don’t have to worry about anything. All we have to do is rejoice and be thankful. Amen.
Taken from: Rx for Worry; A Thankful Heart
By: James P. Gills, MD
Marsha Lyles
Each of us is tempted by the desires of the world. For some, it's clothes or cars. For others, it's a relationship or a career. All of us battle selfish desires to see, measure, and own the tangible possessions of the world.
Do you worry about keeping your possessions, health, status, or position in life? Jesus tells us to change our focus.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:19–21
The eternal perspective has practical applications. Here are five steps each of us can take to diagnose and analyze our worries.
- Take one day at a time. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 don't worry about tomorrow or six months from now. We just need to do the very best we can where we are with what we have. Don’t worry about the rest. Tomorrow belongs to God. We have no control over the future, but he has promised to provide for us eternally. We have only today let us enjoy it and be thankful.
- Get the facts. Write down all the information you have for the situation you’re worried about. Keep a list on paper, not in your head. not everything comes quickly but write down all the details and analyze them. As we write down our worries we become followers who trust God to provide and who see him at work.
- Analyze the results. As we think through a worrisome situation, we often realize it’s not the event that troubles us – it's the anticipation of the event. God is in control now and for eternity. Our attitude of Thanksgiving will help us put Him first I’m& trust in his goodness and kindness to us.
- Improve upon the worst. Business people always look at a problem by projecting the worst possible scenario. Then they put their energy into ensuring that the worst won’t happen. We can often improve the end result if we take positive steps to prevent the most negative results.
- Be done with it. Put the worry behind you; you've done all you can do to take care of the problem. Refuse to allow it to continue bothering you. Give the problem to God, with thanksgiving and know that he can handle any situation. He is the king of kings and Lord of lords! Call your Jehovah Jireh-the Lord will provide.
In paintings, artist use perspective to portray different views of the same object. As Christians, there is only one perspective we must have – the perspective of eternity. The perspective sets the tone for a lives. All our daily actions can be carried out against the background of eternity. Every decision, every action, every thought, every attitude is based on our eternal life through Christ. We are in engulfed by him and our lives are intertwined with Him forever. Meditating on the spiritual reality will help us to more deeply appreciate our Savior and Lord. As we humbly bow before him and expressing our love and admiration for His sovereign care for our souls, we will be overwhelmed with his love and peace. In His strength we can face all of life‘s challenges without fear or worry.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
Paul writes that everything he does on earth is to glorify the person of Jesus Christ. And when he dies we will be with Christ for eternity so it makes no difference. If Christ is in everything we do, we don’t have to worry about anything. All we have to do is rejoice and be thankful. Amen.
Taken from: Rx for Worry; A Thankful Heart
By: James P. Gills, MD
Marsha Lyles