it doesn’t help, it hurts…

it is important for us to see that worry is not natural.  our bodies were not designed to take the stress of worry.  that’s why when we worry, we have health problems – back aches, stomach aches, insomnia.  every day americans consume fifteen tons of aspirin.  why?  because of worry.  we’re up tight.

the bible says in proverbs 12.25 (nlv), worry in the heart of a man weighs it down.  proverbs 14.30 (nirv), a peaceful heart gives life to the body.  you know that worry will make you a lot more tired than work.  if you worry about something, you’re much more fatigued than if you just went out and did it.  worry is not only unreasonable, worry, GOD says, is unnatural. 

matthew 6.26 (tniv), look at the birds... your heavenly FATHER feeds them. [not the bird’s father but your father.  GOD is your father and HE cares for you as a child.]  and aren’t you far more valuable to HIM than they are?  so worry is not only unreasonable, worry is unnatural.

and then matthew 6.27 (tniv), can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  the third thing JESUS says is that worry is unhelpful. it doesn’t work.  it’s useless. 

worrying cannot make me taller, shorter, lengthen my life.  in fact it does the opposite, it shortens my life.  i get so uptight, it ruins my life and it makes me ill.  worry never moves you one inch closer to a solution.  it’s like a rocking chair.  you’ve got a lot of activity, but you don’t make any progress – back and forth, back and forth.  that’s what worry is.  the only thing that worry changes is you.  it makes you more miserable.  it cannot change the situation.

somebody has said, worry is stewing without doing.  worrying cannot change the past.  worrying cannot control the future.  all worrying does is make me miserable today.  it ruins my life.  it saps the strength that i need for today’s problems.  JESUS says worry is unreasonable, worry is unnatural, worry is unhelpful. it doesn’t help, so don’t worry.

just a thought from the front porch…

are you tired, really tired?...

now a good question to ask when you feel powerless is when can i count on GOD’s power? well for one, when i’m tired. i can count on GOD’s power when i’m tired.

i don’t even have to ask you if you are tired. i know that by the fact that i live on long island, close to the city that most of the people around me are tired. work, work, work, work, play, play, play, play, tired, tired, tired, tired.

obviously there are some things that you and i can do to slow the pace of our lives down, but in the midst of this, GOD makes us a promise. isaiah 40.28,29&31 (tev & nlt), the LORD is the everlasting GOD. HE never grows tired or weary. HE strengthens those who are weak and tired. those who trust the LORD for help will find their strength renewed. HE gives power to those who are tired and worn out; HE offers strength to the weak.

i know some of you… you need to memorize this verse! write it down and put it by your toothbrush, get a tattoo of it on your body, shave it on the side of your dog! i don’t care where you put it, just put it someplace where you can be reminded of it. it’s a great verse.

GOD’s power is unlimited. HE never gets tired. HE never gets weary. HE never goes to bed. HE has unlimited energy. HE created the entire universe and said, “what’s next?”

would you like to tap into that kind of power? it’s available.

just a thought from the front porch…