Luke 12:25 - Making Room For God’s Guidance (Bible Journal)
"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life (Luke 12:25 NLT)?"
Confession: I have been a worrier since I was a kid. I have struggled with worry all of my life, and it will definitely be something I will never completely conquer on my own. Even in this moment I have concerns on my mind - a few major ones, many smaller ones. To answer the question Jesus asks in today's Scripture, worrying about my concerns won't add a single moment to my life, and it won't solve anything either. Of course, some issues that lead to worry do need to be addressed. Ignoring the rent payment due or a potential health issue will no doubt lead to more trouble later. However, agonizing over these things in our minds when there isn't anything that can be done in the moment won't lead anywhere. Something that has helped is attempting to quiet my mind while asking God for guidance with what is concerning me, making an effort to not wrestle with the worry to leave an opening for God to put a thought in my mind that could truly assist. The following quote is one that I feel God led me to that I have utilized for years when needing to clear my head to make room for the Lord's guidance:
"No opposite can cancel itself. Just like a Chinese finger puzzle... what happens the more you pull? The tighter it gets. So can the answer be to pull harder? But the self that pulls can’t imagine what life would be if it weren’t struggling. When you see that nothing you struggle with in thought can be put to rest by the thought that struggles with it, the mind will quiet itself."
- Excerpted from "The Heart & Soul of Freedom" by Guy Finley.
Lord, thank You for reminding me of the dangers of worry. Please help me to practice worrying less, and listening for Your guidance instead. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.