What's The Point In Worrying?

I've just been watching 'Keeping Britain Alive: The NHS in One Day' which is a fascinating insight into the daily life of the NHS from all sorts of different perspectives.

 

One elderly man had gone into one hospital for a cataract operation.  When his wife was asked how she was feeling about his operation, she said, "I'm not worrying.  I mean, what's the point?"

 

What's the point?

 

Well said!

 

She followed this by saying, "I mean, you die if you worry, you die if you don't."

 

Worry doesn't change a thing.

 

Jesus asked,

 

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

[Matthew 6:27 NIV]

 

 

Often we can think that if we worry about something, we will somehow prevent it from happening.  But do we really believe this?  Do we really believe that our worry-power can change circumstances outside of our control?

 

Worrying strips us of our peace of mind. It wears us out and eats away at us. Worry is never satisfied.

 

I think sometimes we quite enjoy worrying, because in a strange way, it makes us feel in control.  It helps us to get a grip - or feel as though we have got a grip - on something that is out of control.

 

The opposite of worry is trust.

 

Jesus continued,

 

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

[Matthew 6:33-34 MSG]

 

We can choose to trust that God will help us, whatever happens.  Or we can choose to worry.

 

But what's the point?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here Comes The Sun

There is something about the sun. 

 

We, in Britain, are relatively sun-deprived for most of the year.  It is no wonder, then, that we get so excited at the slightest sign of sunshine.

 

Today has been such a day: despite still relatively crisp conditions, I have seen people out enjoying the sun in shorts and T-shirts.  I was not one of them.

 

There is something about the sun.

 

It makes us feel joyful and optimistic.  We feel hopeful and inspired and enthusiastic.  Everyone is in a better mood when the sun comes out.

 

Isaiah described how God's glory shines on His people in the same way that the sun shines on us:

 

        "Put your face in the sunlight.

        God’s bright glory has risen for you.

        The whole earth is wrapped in darkness,

        all people sunk in deep darkness,

        But God rises on you,

        his sunrise glory breaks over you."

 

        [Isaiah 60:1 MSG]

 

In Britain, we can get so used to the dark, gloomy, grey weather which is so common in our country.  We can forget what the sun is and how it makes us feel.  In a spiritual sense, we can get used to life feeling dull and gloomy and depressing, too.  We live in the shadows.  We forget that life was ever different and we doubt that it will ever be different again.

 

But when we see the sun, everything changes.

 

And when we see the Son, everything changes too.