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Nothing to worry about?
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Since we all have different opinions about things, my column definitely doesn't exist to tell you that I am right and you are wrong, or vice versa. Rather, I write this column, virtually without payment, to get us all thinking about the things of God.
St. Louis has a large community of faithful people, but during these very trying times, we sometimes open up our hearts and minds to worry. Sometimes we live our lives without giving deep thought to the God that gave us life or what He expects from us. We wake up, worry about not having a job, worry about our kids, worry about our health or that of our loved ones, and before we know it, it's time to go to sleep, if we can even get to sleep. Lets think a little more about worry.
We are only two months in to the new year and we are faced with dire economic predictions that stretch into December. Each day that you turn on the TV, either Vickie Newton, Larry Connors, Mandy Murphy or Jennifer Blome, lovely people that they are, tell us all of the bad news. Truth is, they are just doing their job. Now it's time for us to do our job as faithful Christians.
It helps to go to church or to be around other faithful Christians. Don't get me wrong, going to church doesn't save you, and the Christian religion doesn't teach that, but church is the best place to find a large group of others who believe what you believe. It helps to hear The Word. It is like stoking a fire, the fire of your soul. The Word reminds us of what we sometimes already know. We all know it is wrong and unproductive to worry.
Even though times are tough and money is tight, if you visit your church, try to drop a dollar or two, or whatever you can afford, into their offering basket. Churches have water bills, mortgages, electric and gas bills too, however, they don't build and sell things in order to make money. People might site the fact that churches don't pay taxes, but think about your paycheck. The taxes that are withheld may be substantial, but if you had to live on the withheld taxes alone, could you do it? It would help me if I could keep the 30% that the IRS takes from me (or took from me, I have been laid off for three months), but I also need that other 70 percent.
Also, I know it's difficult, but try very hard to wipe out worry by using replacement thinking. When a worrisome thought pops into your mind, pop it right back out by replacing it with something else. Maybe you can think of your favorite song, scripture, happy place or what have you.
Remember, worrying is the exact opposite of what Jesus instructs us to do. Read Matthew 6: 24-34. Read it more than once if you have to. Jesus knows that people have problems in life, but worrying will never, ever solve any problem, it will only hurt us in the end. Not only does worry hurt us physically, but our relationship with God is strained because of worry. The mere act of worrying shows God that we don't trust that He can handle it. Of course He can handle anything. We are in His most capable Hands, and He will make sure that the ones who belong to Him will come out on top in the end.
