Can You Imagine?

Can You Imagine?

Can I even imagine? What would it be like to wake up every morning without a single worry in the world?

“Well, of course!” You might say. “If my circumstances were different, I wouldn’t worry. I worry about my kids, my loved ones, my parents, and our health because I love them. And now we face the holidays which can be joyful but can also be stressful and sometimes cause us to worry.

I understand.  We will always have circumstances and reasons to worry! I grew up in a family where worrying is how you showed your love. If you didn’t worry, it meant you didn’t care. I used to joke that I am a professional worrier. But when I read Philippians 4:6, I  realized that not worrying is a command, not just a suggestion.  “Do not worry about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

It took a while for that to sink in, but I began to realize that trusting God and letting go of my worries had to be an act of faith. Uh-oh. My middle name is Faith and I have been embarrassed that I have not lived up to it like the heroes in the Bible.

How did they do it? So, I began to study about them in Hebrews 11, who God chose to use as an example to us. Scripture points out that He chose even the weak to show His will.  

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

(So, does this mean that I can choose to hope even in the midst of my circumstances? I can choose to have faith?  Can I choose to let go and trust God in every area of my life, even my loved ones’ lives?)

But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

(Okay. That’s a start. I believe that He is.)

Reading on, I see that Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household….by which he became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith…Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. HE WENT OUT NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING.

The list of our heroes goes on…Sarah by faith bore a child in her old age, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Sampson, and David, all flawed, weak humans. But they made the decision to trust God.

Can I do that too?

After reading about this parade of heroes, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “Write your own Hebrews 11!”  So, I did. I listed every single time in my life when God rescued me even in several life-threatening situations (see my book That One Person for more details). I listed all the times, even though I am a flawed human being, that He has helped me make the right decisions, forgave me when I didn’t deserve it, and even brought me mentors in every career I pursued. He has provided me with wonderful close friends who have been like sisters to me and gotten me through several surgeries restoring me to health. Why would He do that? Scripture explains that it’s because God loves me unconditionally.

Then, it dawned on me like a beautiful sunrise that if He has guided me through all these years, He’s not going to abandon me now or in the future. How do I know that I have a future?

But as we get older, we tend to look back and wonder if there is still a future for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Take this example from an automobile. It has two front windows and only a small rear-view window. Hopefully, we learn from our past mistakes and lessons, but God intends for us to always go forward and have a future.

So, I invite you to write your own Hebrews 11 reviewing your life and how He has helped you.

So, just as I made the decision to follow Christ in my life, I have now made the decision not to worry. Not even in the midst of my circumstances. We will always have circumstances! Situations come up often for you and me…unexpected bad news, devastating illnesses, loss of a job, kids with problems, worries about money in this economy, getting older, and concerns about safety in our towns. But the apostle Paul wrote Philippians 4:6 while he was in prison during horrible circumstances not knowing if he would be executed or not. But he was able to look not just to this life, but to eternity. We can do that, too.

Here’s a wonderful song, What a Day That Will Be, that has helped me a lot:

There is coming that day when no heartaches shall come

No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye.

All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore.

What a glorious day that will be.

 

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see.

When I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace.

When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land.

What a day, glorious day that will be.

(You can hear this wonderful song by going to YouTube and typing in What a Day That Will Be, recorded by Michael Sanchez).

As time has passed, I feel myself changing. Why? Because I have chosen to follow scripture…Do not worry about anything….The end of the verse gives us the reward…And the PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.

Isn’t that what we all want? Peace. Since I made the decision to follow the command and not to worry, you know what??  It’s working! It’s all in God’s hands anyway. He is the one I can trust now and forever. 

But what about tomorrow? Mathew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Of course, we need to make plans for the future but we are not to worry about them.

As we go into the holidays, please join me in deciding to rest in His love, deciding not worrying, being thankful, and enjoying every minute wherever we are, free of burdens, because we know that He loves us and doesn’t want us to worry! He has a plan for each of us and this is not all that there is!

Imagine that!