So much going on in the world, right? For the past week, I feel like I’ve been walking around with something heavy sitting on my chest. Thankfully my little family is fine, but people around me are grieving and going through things I wish they weren’t going through. My church is struggling (because we’re made up of real people), and I feel let down by a lot of men and women who I once looked up to. Life is hard, then we wake up to hear about the shooting in Las Vegas, and I have to wonder why.
It’s easy to get bogged down by all of these burdens and just throw up my hands and call it done, and I would be lying if I told you that I haven’t fantasized about doing that. I just know, though, that God doesn’t want me to do that. He wants me, instead, to throw up my hands in praise of him, to lean on Him during this tough time, to fix my eyes on him when I am having trouble navigating through this mess around me.
I’m meditating on this verse:
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” –Philippians 4: 4-7 (MSG)
And this one:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -Matthew 11: 28-30 (MSG)
I find relief in knowing that God will take my worries, that he’ll use the messes I make and turn them into something good, that I can go to him with everything. He can take the burned-out religious feeling that I have and teach me not just grace, but unforced grace.
He’ll do it for you, too. 🙂 Thank you, God.
I needed to hear this also… thanks Laresa the verses were very edifying for me.
Thank you, Chris!