A Thought For The Week Of July 4

"Cast all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) I've often pointed out to people that, according to an article I once read, it's estimated that about 90% of the things we worry about either never happen, or there's absolutely nothing we can do about them anyway. In other words, 90% of the time we spend worrying about things could be put to better or more productive uses. And yet we do worry. We worry about all sorts of things: our health, our finances, our futures. Worry, in some ways, seems almost second nature to human beings. But perhaps it's also an opportunity for us to show others the difference that faith can make in our lives. As Christians, we should be able to move beyond worry. After all, we have the assurance that God is always with us. That's not a promise that everything is just going to magically work out. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't take normal precautions. We still look both ways before we cross the street. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't take action where we can. We should adjust our lifestyles to help fight climate change. But it does mean that we should realize that regardless of our circumstances we're in the presence and held in the love of a God who cares for us. As the old gospel song says, "Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you." And there really is no reason to worry to the point of being unable to enjoy the life God has given us. After all, people who believe in a Lord who rose from the dead should be the people who are most able to look directly at trouble of any kind and keep going. So this verse gives very good advice. Rather than worrying and being anxious, we should trust God to see us through our times of trial, and we should use the strengths and gifts God has given us to take confident action where we can.