|
No Worries Mate - Pastor Mike
I love Australia...well, at least what I know of it. I've been there one time back in 2008, spending 2 weeks in Cairns, which is in the state of Queensland (Northeast Australia). Among other things, Queensland is home to 9 of the 10 deadliest snakes in the world, not to mention the infamous stinging jellies. In fact, the one beach we visited had 3 signs warning of the 10 types of deadly jellies, plus sharks, plus crocodiles. It's ironic, then, that one of the most common phrases uttered in Australia is "no worries mate." A good friend of mine who is from Australia utters these words constantly. No matter the task, danger or obstacle, his response is always "no worries mate."
I wonder if we can't learn something here...
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life." (Matthew 6:25-27)
To be a Christian is to live by faith. There is no way around it. But, for those of us who have a bent towards worry, how can we overcome that? Is it as simple as telling yourself to stop worrying? Hmmm.
I believe the root of worry is a desire for control. We tend to worry about things we can't control. We worry about the choices our kids make, we worry about our investments, we worry about what others think about us, we worry about many things...things we can't control. And if we can't control them, then what good will worrying about them do?
There is another way, though. There is a way to exert some control over the things we can't control. How? Prayer. It's simple, really. God CAN control them, and in fact He is sovereign. What if we replaced all the time we worry about things we can't control and instead prayed about those things; and in that way, we brought some semblance of control? Prayer moves the hand of God to action. Prayer binds our heart with His. Prayer is about connecting with the Lord of the universe. And if we could master the life of never-ending conversation, prayer, with God, then truly we can say with all honesty, "No worries mate."
|
The Community Toy Store