Matthew 6:34 ““So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” This episode talks about how we can take captive our thoughts and when we do this we will worry less. Music:"Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Matthew 6:34 ““So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Wow, this is a great verse for all of us to write down and place it all around us. The thing is, when we read this it sounds so simple. Don’t worry about tomorrow, you will have time for that later, you have enough to worry about today. Don’t you wish it was that simple. Don’t you wish you could just tell yourself not to worry, and then you actually don’t worry. Life would be so much simpler if it worked that way. I don’t think this verse is telling us anything that we don’t already know on some level. We know that we don’t need to worry about the future because we don’t even know what will happen in the future. We also know that there is plenty to worry about in this moment without borrowing worries from another day. So, if we already know all of this, why do we still worry about tomorrow?
We still worry for the same reason that we still eat candy and drink soda even though we know eating vegetables and drinking water is better for us. We still worry for the same reason that watch TV instead of working out even though we know working out is better for us. We worry because that is what we have trained our brain to do. We worry because that is what we have done in the past. We worry because that is our habit. We worry because it is an automatic response and changing automatic responses takes work.
Is it possible for you or I to change how much we worry, yes. I know this is hard for some of you to believe. I know so many people that identify with the identity of being a worrier. They say things like “It’s just who I am,” or “I have always been a worrier, I can’t change it now.” Is this you? Be honest with yourself, have you said these things? Do you believe that you are a worrier and that will never change? I get it, if you have always done something, then you assume you always will do it. You don’t know anything different. However, this doesn’t need to be the case. You may be a person who worries, but that is not your identity. I used to be someone that hated to get up in the morning and then I started to get up at 5:30 in the morning so I could get prayer time and workout time in before the kids woke up. Was it easy to make this switch, not at all. Was it worth it, absolutely. You can change. Who you are is not set in stone.
There are two different mindsets that we can have. If you have a fixed mindset then you believe that intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable. Basically you are who you are. If you are not good at something you typically believe you will never be good at it. However, a growth mindset means you believe these things can be developed with practice. You believe that just because you can’t do something yet, doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be able to do it. I think if you look around you, there are a lot of examples to prove that just because you are not good at something, doesn’t mean you will never be good at it. Did you know that Michael Jordon was kicked off of his high school basketball team before he went on to win 6 championships, 5 MVP awards and 2 Olympic gold medals? Did you know that Steven Spielberg, the only director to have made over 10 billion dollars in the box office from his films was rejected 3 times from USC’s film school. Michael Jordon was not born an amazing basketball player. He had to work hard to become an amazing basketball player. He made a goal of getting 100 free throws in a row. This meant if he got to 75 and missed one, he would start all over again. He also spent the entire summer doing two practice sessions a day, six days a week, shooting at least 500 jump shots in each practice. That's more than 6,000 practice shots each week!
I know many of you listening to this may not be basketball fans. I am not a basketball fan either. I tell you this story to show you that just because you can’t do something now, doesn’t mean you will never be able to do it. Also, just because you do something now, like worry, doesn’t mean you always have to do. Hopefully by now, some of you that were skeptical at first are starting to believe that you can change if you want to. It was pretty simple for Michael Jordon to become an excellent basketball player. He knew what skills he needed to develop and then he practiced them over and over again until he got really good at them. It wasn’t easy, it took a lot of work, but it was simple.
In this same way, worrying less is simple, but it is not easy. If we want to worry less, then we need to take control of our thoughts. It says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” You can take your thoughts captive. You can be in charge of what you think and what you don’t think. This may seem impossible and I understand why you would think that. We live in a society where we don’t really have to think for ourselves if we don’t want to. There are news networks that tell us what to think, there are movies and tv shows that influence how we think, there are social media “influencers” that tell us what we should and shouldn’t like. If we look at commercials, magazines, books, radio shows, podcasts, we are constantly being told what to think. So, I get that you don’t think you can help how you think or what you think about. However, it is possible.
I read an article titled “Radical Trust” by Laura Fleetwood (Seeking the Still). Laura mentioned that a friend sent her this verse in an email and it was a much needed reminder. She said that although there is so much in this world that we can’t control, we CAN control our thoughts. After reading this verse, every time her mind wanted to worry about something, she would take captive that thought and hand it over to Jesus. This is what she said, “Literally, in my mind, I snatch it and give it to Jesus. And then I tell myself, I trust you, Jesus. I trust you. I trust you.” She also says, “Take this fearful thought, Lord. Take the what-ifs and should haves and could haves. I give them to you again, and again, and again.” When she gets a fearful or worrisome thought in her head this is what she does, “Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus. Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus. Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus.”
If Laura can do this, so can you. It won’t be easy, but if you get in the habit of doing it then it will become easier. Starting a new habit is always difficult, however, isn’t worrying all the time hard too? Do you like how you feel when you spend so much time worrying? What would you give in order to not have to worry so much? If it feels like you worry about everything all the time, know that you are not alone. It is pretty common. Do you have one thing that you always worry about? One situation or topic that you worry about more than others? For instance, you children, your car, your abilities? If you are someone that seems to worry about everything then even just thinking about capturing your thoughts may feel overwhelming. This is why I just asked if there was any one thing you worry about more than the others. Maybe just start with one area. Try to pay attention and listen to yourself saying things about that one topic. When you do hear it, snatch the thought, hand it over, and say Jesus I trust you. Once you get that area down you can move onto another. You can do this! We can do this!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all those listening to this episode today. Lord, please bless them. Lord, we ask that you help us control our thoughts. When the enemy starts whispering his fancy lies into our ears, help us to snatch the thoughts and hand them over to you. Lord help us all to worry less and trust more. Lord, even if we are worried, help us to still move forward with faith in you. Lord you are truly amazing and we are so lucky that you love us and do so much for us. We thank you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your scripture and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. This weeks character trait is humility. For this week, I challenge you to say the Litany of Humility each day for the next 7 days. (Click here for Litany of Humility) I will put a link to that in the show notes. I will also put the link to an article with some suggestions on ways to grow in humility. (Click Here for Article) If you haven’t signed up for the “10 weeks to be more like Jesus” Challenge, you can still do so at findingtruenorthcoaching.com or (click here to register). I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow. Have a blessed day!
Litany of Humility
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.