"Do not be anxious about anything
but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 4:6-7
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Our Bible Study has recently started Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. It has been a fantastic read & perfectly timed for my spiritual life right now. I've never felt more like a Martha in my life! There are so many nuggets of wisdom, new perspectives, & relevant references to make it one of my favorite studies yet. Especially helpful as of late is the discussion of anxiety & it's place in our lives. I could type forever...but you should just read the book. ; ) I'll just give you three of my favorite passages so far.
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p. 34
What We Worry About
40% are things that will never happen
30% are about the past - which can't be changed
12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% are about health, which gets worse with stress
8% are about real problems that can be solved
(...all of my worries fit into that 8%, right?)
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p.38
Healthy Concern vs. Toxic Worry
Concern
*involves a legitimate threat
*is specific
*addresses the problem
* solves problems
*looks to God for answer
Worry
*is often unfounded
*is generalized
*obsesses about the problem
*creates more problems
*looks to self or others for answers
(so I guess when it's too much & I just can't say WHAT exactly is wrong...)
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p.59
"I realized then that, while there are many things that need to be done, things I'm capable of doing & want to do, I am not always the one to do them. Even if I have a burden for a certain need or project, my interest or concern is not a surefire sign that I need to be in charge. God may only be calling me to pray that the right person will rise up to accomplish it. What's more, I may be STEALING someone else's BLESSING when I assume I must do it all."
(I've often considered that I'm doing too much or being asked to do too much, but I rarely have thought that I might actually be taking away an opportunity for growth from someone else.)
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Any of those strike a cord with you? Are you a toxic worrier? How do you separate what God wills for you to do from what you feel you must do for Him?
How do you separate what God wills for you to do from what you feel you must do for Him?
ReplyDeleteWorking on this - Elizabeth Foss wrote an article addressing this a while ago that I printed and promptly lost: Prioritizing for Peace (Google it - it's in the Arlington Catholic Herald archives). "We beg God to help us to discern His will from moment to moment. Sometimes, answering His call means that we deviate from our plan. I’d even go so far as to say that it often means that in a household with small children. God knows there will be interruptions, deviations and reconsiderations. He wants to meet us in those moments and show us the way He wants us to travel. Without the original plan though, we might never even find ourselves at the crossroads. The original plan sets out on a purposeful journey."
Writing out a "plan" as she talks about in the article may be a good starting point.: "As much as possible, I aim to make habits of as many duties as I can. I know that once something is a habit, once it is done in the same way at the same time over and over again, it is not nearly so difficult to accomplish. But habits begin as intentions and all of life works better if it’s lived intentionally."
Adding to this, I listenend to a tape recently that made the point that if we do things according to a schedule - intentionally - it's easier to offer the work to God than it is when we just have a list of things to get done each week and do them when we feel like it.
This sounds interesting. We may have to book swap for our next study! ;)
ReplyDeleteI am actually not a worrier at all. There are very few things which I worry about and I don't allow myself to do so. Sometimes I wonder if it's trust in God and his work or just resignation (knowing that I'm not the one in control). I hope it's trust.