Antithesis

C

urrent events are enough to drive you crazy! But I guess you’ve noticed that—you don’t need me to tell you. I tend to be a worry-wort. I worry about my family. I worry about my job. I worry about politics. I worry about my friends, my church, my car, my lawnmower. Worrying seems to be one of my favorite pastimes.

But it’s not supposed to be that way—at least not for those of us who claim the name of Christ. I am not supposed to concern myself with things I have no control over. And, frankly, I have almost no control over everything.

When I compare my worries to the worries some other people might have, I realize mine are not so bad. I am not homeless, which is a great relief on a day like today when the temperature is forecast to reach 96 degrees. I am not a shut-in or bed-ridden. I have a family, reasonably good health, a great church, a good job, and I live in a beautiful location in a nation that has been truly blessed.

Perhaps I should see what God tells me to do when I am inclined to worry:

Psalm 37

1. Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
   be not envious of wrongdoers!
2. For they will soon fade like the grass
   and wither like the green herb.
3. Trust in the Lord, and do good;
   dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4. Delight yourself in the Lord,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Commit your way to the Lord;
   trust in him, and he will act.
6. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
   and your justice as the noonday.
7. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
   fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
   over the man who carries out evil devices!

...

39. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40. The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

If, like me, you are prone to worry, click on Psalm 37 and read the entire psalm. It’s a wonderful salve for a worried soul.

Now... I need to just make sure that I do as the psalmist says.