Winning Over Worry

WINNING OVER WORRY"But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33, 34

 We live in a "worry-full" society, brothers. People are worried about the economy, the elections, and some of you were worried that the Phillies were not going to defeat the Rays last night. But our team did it big time!!! (Sorry - you can't take the Philly out of me!!!)

 Dr. Don Hawkins, President of Southeastern Bible College and contributor to the America's KESWICK daily devotional, REAL VICTORY FOR REAL LIFE, writes today about worry:

 "A well-loved hymn begins with the words "I never worry...", yet for most Christians, singing those words would be less than honest. To be candid about it, the majority of us worry a lot-about the very things Jesus identified as sources of worry in Matthew 6; material and financial provisions (v.25), keeping up with others (vs. 31, 32), and the future (v. 34). And worry often robs us of the victory that is ours in Christ. So how can we overcome this strong negative emotion, which at its heart involves a distraction of our focus on Christ and a lack of faith in Him to care for our needs? Let's consider four keys to living virtually worry-free. Key # 1: Admit I worry and need to give it up. Three times in Matthew 6 Jesus instructed His listeners to "Stop worrying" (vs. 25, 31, 34). Remember, He never commands us to do anything without fully providing the power to obey. He further noted that worry does no positive good, and that even nature-birds and flowers---shows the futility of worrying. Key # 2: Gain insight into worry's hidden cause. Whenever I worry, the real issue is one of trust. Can I rely on Christ to supply all my needs? Will He take care of me in the future? That's why Jesus pinpointed the root cause of our anxieties with the phrase "...o ye of little faith" (v. 30).  Key # 3: Establish appropriate life priorities. Earlier Jesus had noted that, "No man can serve two masters..." (v. 24).  In the familiar words of verse 33 He established where our priorities must begin. His kingdom and righteousness-or in modern terms, His authority over our decisions and His standards for living-must be the priority factors that govern our lives. While He provides the power to make this happen, He points out that we have the responsibility to "seek first...." The choice is ours! Key # 4: Live life one day at a time. On a radio interview, Elisabeth Elliott quoted from her late husband Jim, "Wherever you are be all there; live to the hilt each day what you believe to be the will of God." That's the principle Jesus explained in verse 34. Tomorrow hasn't arrived yet, and yesterday is past. So live today without worry! That's His final word on the subject. So what's your major source of worry? Cancer or other major illness? A shrinking checkbook balance? Conflict with a family member or friend? Whatever the source of your worry, applying these keys can help you live each day worry-free. -- Dr. Don HawkinsGod's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 30;  Jeremiah 20-21; 2 Timothy 4Think about this: I swell with pride when I can face the whole world and say, "I belong to Him. The mighty God of this universe is my heavenly Father. I'm His by adoption. I'm a joint-heir with His wonderful Son' In that moment when you're prone to be depressed, when you find yourself in the spirit of bondage, look up. just pause and remember to whom you belong.