Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Don't Worry Be Happy!

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33&34 (NIV)

I read this verse a couple of days ago and since then God really has been speaking to me. What is it about us as humans that makes us worry and doubt so much? God has done so much for me in this past year, let alone the rest of my life so far. I remembered that I had worried about graduating from high school and starting college.  But guess what? Everything turned out just fine. Actually more than fine! God had completely blessed me with amazing professors and even more amazing friends. I had worried about the work load and God totally helped me through that as well. I had prayed all year long for God to guide me and to help me succeed. This past semester I got really good grades, not by my own means, but through the grace of God.

Yet after all that, I still find myself worrying about a lot of things. My major (architecture), school, finances, friends and family just to name a few. So far this summer I have had a lot of time to myself which just gives my thoughts more time to wander so I tend to worry more. I begin to ask myself "did I choose the right major? Will I be able to do succeed in the architectural field? What if my peers are better than me?" But in the midst of all this worrying I forget one very important thing: when I began to study architecture in high school, I felt God calling me to pursue architecture so I can help the less fortunate. If God called me to do it, who am I to question? God reminded me of this crucial point yesterday when I looked at the my Bible verse for the day. It read: "He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Sure I might not be the best at it yet and the  road before me might not exactly be clear, but God called me to do this specific major and school so I need to fully trust in Him. Period. No ands, ifs, or buts about it. And who knows God might call me to a different major later on and then I'll just have to keep trusting in Him, following Him one step at a time like I am now.

So what I'm trying to say is: don't worry! God has something amazing in store for each of us and the more we worry, the more we are distracted from our mission and calling. In Matthew 6:33&34, God tells us to strive after Him. Once we begin to do that everything else in our lives will fall into place. Our circumstances still won't be perfect, but God puts each of us exactly where He wants us. When I read this passage,  I picture Jesus just shaking His head in unbelief as He tries to get in through our thick little heads that worrying doesn't solve anything. Think of all the time you and I have spent worrying. Where did that worrying get us? Nowhere! We could have been using all the time that we were worrying to pray and fill our hearts with Scripture instead.

This verse also begs the question: why don't we just trust in Him? We say that we do, but do we really? I mean if we (and I do mean we) spend all this time worrying, are we really trusting in God? And why aren't we? It's so simple. God wants to take all these burdens that we have away, but first we have to let Him do so.  He's done nothing short of amazing for us (even when I thought everything was going horribly everything turned out better than I could even imagined)!

So instead of worrying what next month, week or even day will bring, focus just on today and right now. If you don't, you could be missing out on some incredible opportunities for God to use you and the small blessings that He has in store for you!