What? Me Worry?

What?  Me Worry?

Sixteen year old's generally want to drive.  This has been the bane of my existence for almost that many years.  Five of my kids are legal drivers.  As far as I’m concerned I’ve done my part for humanity.  When my number two son had his permit, we drove to the north side regularly to see a doctor there.  One morning, he asked if he could drive.  I innocently said, “Sure!”  Forty-five minutes on the Dan Ryan made me lose all confidence in the whole idea.  My son did fine, but I was a mess.  Call me a control freak, but student drivers shouldn’t drive on the Dan Ryan.  Heck, no one should drive on the Dan Ryan! 

Ever since that fateful day, I loathe having to drive with one of my blessings.  I get anxious.  It is unbelievably hard to hand them the keys.  I’ve bargained with older siblings to take them out driving.  I’ve told my husband it was his job.  Of course, I feel guilty for not doing my part in ensuring a safe driver for the world.  After all a good parent should want to guarantee their child is a responsible driver for their sake and everyone else’s, right?  What would be the point of anxiety if it didn’t also hang out with guilt?  Not only do we get to be crippled from taking action, but we get to feel lousy about it too!

Well, my current sixteen year old student driver wants to drive.  He’s had a series of mishaps delaying his progress.  With encouragement from dad and persistent nagging, I handed him the keys the other day.  In a mundane trip to the gas station, we found ourselves stuck on the bumper bars protecting the gas pump.  I drive a one ton vehicle – it doesn’t unstick easily!  Did you know that 7-Eleven attendants come out in pairs to gawk?  It is not an independent activity.  They also call the police.  Friendly policemen full of advice about teaching young people to drive.

 

Another thing sixteen year olds like to do is argue.  In my limited experience with life, if a cop tells you the sky is orange you say, ‘yes, sir’ and smile.  Not if you’re sixteen, then you argue the point.  Experience, however, is a thorough teacher, because thinking you know everything fades with age.  Parking on a bumper bar shakes your confidence.

It’s not my student drivers that are the problem here, bumper bars and Chicago highways exempted.  Mistakes get made when you’re learning anything.  Anxiety rules because life doesn’t go as planned.  The longer we live the more experience we get with worst-case scenarios.

There are legions of anxiety provoking things going on in the world today that are far worse than teaching teenagers how to drive. It would be easy to be paralyzed by the apparent downward spiral of this tired planet.

As always the Lord gives us a prescription for healing in His Word.  

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near. 

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord always?  Rejoice means to be exceedingly glad.  What do we have to be exceedingly glad about?  In Ephesians chapter 1 Paul tells us that believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing, chosen to be holy and blameless, adopted on purpose because of His kindness, lavished with His grace, redeemed by His blood, forgiven of our sins, heirs of the kingdom, and sealed with the Holy Spirit.  Be glad!  Rejoice!!  The world could very well be going to hell in a politically correct, eco-friendly Prius, but if you trust Jesus Christ as Savior you are in the palm of God’s hand.  Be loved!  Rest!!

If we have all that, we can afford to be gentle – calm, kind and sweet to others.  Wouldn’t that be a testimony to a terrified world? 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Jesus told us not to worry.  He said we can’t change one of our hairs from black to grey, so why worry?  Anxiety accomplishes nothing.  It is completely useless.  Use that energy to do something that works – pray!  While you’re at it, be thankful.  Giving thanks is not just for Thanksgiving.  It is a powerful, freeing tool that adjusts your attitude and screws your head on right.  Don’t neglect it!

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When you spend time worshiping God, laying all those concerns at his feet He will give you peace – unreasonable peace in the face of a crisis, turmoil, or a hot mess.  Yes, you may have to fall on your face often to keep that peace, but it’s more effective than wringing your hands and developing an ulcer.  Bringing all your concerns to Him comes with the promise that He will keep you sane.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Prayer is not the end.  To keep anxiety at bay we have to direct our minds.  Paul proclaimed he was taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:5.  We must do the same.  As in so many other things, God promises us great things, but we are not allowed to take part in those promises passively.  He promises to take our cares and concerns and give us peace and sanity, but if we want to keep it we have to take control of our minds.  Truth, honor, right, purity, loveliness, good repute, anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things!  We cannot be responsible for what pops into our heads, but we are responsible for what we do with those thoughts.  Take them captive!!  Arrest them and throw them in the dungeon of reject!!!

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul is quite an example for us.  2 Corinthians 11:24-28:

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.  I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers in the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

Talk about worst-case scenarios!

Despite all that, Paul is the one that tells us in Philippians 4:12-13:

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

We need to go and do likewise.