Week 15: Stop Worrying!

This week's Bible reading plan is as follows:

• Sunday: Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27; Luke 12:8-34; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 12:21-23
• Monday: Deuteronomy 32:28-52; Luke 12:35-59; Psalm 78:56-64; Proverbs 12:24
• Tuesday: Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Luke 13:1-21; Psalm 78:65-72; Proverbs 12:25
• Wednesday: Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22-14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 12:26
• Thursday: Joshua 3:1-4:24; Luke 14:7-35; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 12:27-28
• Friday: Joshua 5:1-7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 13:1
• Saturday: Joshua 7:16-9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:2-3

Our S.O.A.P. this week is from the Gospel of Luke: 
 
Scripture: Luke 8:25, 26
"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?'

Observation:
If only we could internalize Jesus' teaching in this passage to the point that it transforms our relationship to the world around us!

According to a recent study published by the American Psychological Association, roughly 75% of all US adults experience physical and psychological symptoms of stress. The top causes of stress are (1) jobs (relating to co-workers, bosses, and work overload), (2) money (relating to loss of job, reduced retirement benefits, and medical expenses), (3) health (relating to a health crisis or a terminal or chronic illness), and (4) relationships (relating to divorce, the death of a spouse, arguments with friends, and loneliness). Almost half of all Americans feel that their stress has increased over the past 5 years and almost half of all people say that stress has a negative impact on their personal and professional life.

While some stressors, like grumpy bosses, can't always be avoided, much of the stress we experience is self-induced. Another word for it is worry. We worry about finances. We worry about gaining weight...and losing weight. We worry about failing health. We worry about our aging parents, spouses, and, especially, our children. We even worry when we feel that we are not worrying enough!

Yet Jesus' logic is impeccable. If worry cannot at a single second to our life, why would we expect it to help us in any other way? Jesus, in a word, gives us as plain a command as he can: Stop worrying!

Application:
Worry is one of my closest companions. It keeps me company at night when I cannot sleep. It is there when I am irritable and when I overeat. It shadows me when I face deadlines at work and when I pay bills each month. As I age, I worry that every new ache or pain is a signal of something terrible.

Today I pause to take in Jesus' teaching afresh…to draw a deep breath and exhale slowly, expelling the tension and feeling anew his peace, which surpasses all understanding.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I rest in you and in your peace, which makes no earthly sense. When I feel the pangs of worry stirring in my soul, please let your Spirit speak to me, assuring me that I am yours and that because of Jesus I have nothing to fear…ever. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen!

Have a great week!

Faithfully,
Chuck