Life Lessons
Does Jesus teach you with experiences in your life?
Verse of the Day
‘Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?’
Today’s Devotional
We have skipped ahead almost a whole chapter, which bothers my sense of order. But I must write down the lessons Jesus is teaching me when I have a direct experience that drives the lesson home.
On December 18th, 2022, I walked into my parents’ home to drop something off after church. They had their TV on, waiting for the Cowboys game to begin. Since it was not yet time for kickoff, they were watching the World Cup Final. And it was the very end of the game. The game had come down to penalty kicks. I sat there and watched the end of this game with them. I saw the winner. I saw Argentina win the World Cup.
Later that same day, my husband returned from a trip and wanted to watch the World Cup Final that he had recorded. I had only seen the very end of the game, so even though I knew the outcome, I sat with him to watch the game. And guess what happened? I became so wrapped up in the intensity of the competition that I forgot that I knew who won the game. I was stressed for these players. All of them.
At one point, when I caught myself getting wound up about the game, the still, small voice of God nudged me. “Don’t you do the same thing in your life? Do you get stressed about today’s details even though you know the ending? You know that I am victorious and that you are on my team, right? So why, exactly, are you worried about anything?”
I can’t describe what a gut-punch that was and continues to be every time I get stressed. Jesus tells us repeatedly not to worry. “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” He is teaching us that worrying is useless, just as useless as me being stressed about a soccer game that I knew the outcome of.
So what are we to do with worry, when our human brain takes over and hijacks our thinking? I can only tell you what has been working for me. First, I must acknowledge that I’m worrying. Then I practice what 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches, which is to capture my thoughts and make them obedient to Christ. I do this by declaring to God that I trust Him with whatever it is that I’m worrying about. I pray and ask for God’s help to trust Him with this. I ask Him to show me what is my responsibility to do, and I ask for His help to do that. Sometimes I repeat this process MANY times over the same issue in a single day. More times than not, I get a sense that He is growing my faith and trust through this process, as frustrating as it can be for my brain to continually need to be redirected.
Jesus is teaching me that worrying is futile. He is also teaching me the value of obedience in the midst of worry. He is teaching me to learn to listen to Him when I have declared my trust in Him and I’m asking for instructions. No matter how many times each day I must do this. I may not know how each situation in my life is going to turn out, but I know who wins this “game”. And I’m on His team.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What are you worried about today?
Write out a declaration of trust in Jesus about the things you are worried about. Be specific.
Write out a prayer asking for God to help you trust Him.
Ask for specific instructions.
Listen with your pen ready.