[Guest devotion from a co-worker in India]
“Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27)
A
psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an
audience. As she raised a glass of water everyone expected they would be asked
the “half-empty or half-full” question. Instead with a smile on her face she
inquired “How heavy is this glass of water?” Many answers came from the
audience - 250 gms was the least value mentioned and 500 gms was the highest value.
The psychologist replied, “The absolute weight does not matter. It depends on
how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is not a problem. If I hold
it for an hour, I’ll have ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day my arm will
feel numb and paralyzed. In each case the weight of the glass does not change,
but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stress
and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while
and nothing happens. Think about them for a bit longer and they begin to hurt.
And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed - you’ll be
incapable of doing anything. So always remember to put the glass down.”
Dear
friends, how well it would be if we apply this truth in our spiritual lives
too! Many times we keep worrying over petty things all day long as a result of
which we lose our joy and peace. We become depressed. Ultimately our work
becomes ineffective. So then what are we supposed to do? We should cast all our
burdens on the Lord because He cares for us. In Matthew 6:25, Jesus Himself
advises us not to worry about anything. He shows examples from nature - the
lilies of the field and the birds of the air. How wonderful our lives would be
if we follow our Lord’s instructions! Paul also writes in Philippians 4:6, “Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” So let us not hold on to our
worries and anxieties; but let us place them on the Lord. By worrying we do not
achieve anything, but only spoil our mental and physical health.
PRAYER: Dear Lord,
worry and stress not only affect me physically and mentally, but also makes me
unproductive. So let me not worry about anything, but let me cast all my
burdens on you trusting that you will take care of all my problems. Amen.
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