Time to Let the Worry Go

                I grew up out in the country, surrounded by fields and big open areas for the scary creatures of the night to wander and roam. Ok… so I guess it’s not really that scary, but when I would lay in bed at night, there were many times when I would hear strange noises coming from right outside my window. Sometimes I would hear coyotes which used to freak me out, sometimes I would hear cats hissing at each other, and sometimes I would hear our outdoor guard dog, Buddy, barking.

                Now why would I be scared of my own dog barking? It wasn’t because I was scared of the dog himself, but I was scared because I didn’t know what he was barking at. He could be barking at robbers trying to break into our house, he could be barking at someone peeking in through my window, or maybe he was just barking at the stray cat that ran across the yard. But what really worried me whenever Buddy barked at night, was that I had no clue what he was barking at. I didn’t know what was outside. So rather than being encouraged by the fact that Buddy was doing his job by being a good guard dog, I was often a little frightened only because I had no idea what he was barking at. I spent too much time worrying about what I didn’t know, rather than being thankful for what I did know: that my dog was out there to protect our house.  

                Many times we are afraid and worry for no reason, when in reality, God is in complete control. We worry and worry and worry, when God is really working the whole time. But why worry about the unknown when we have a God who already knows it all? We should spend more time being thankful for what we do know—that God is always in control.   

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” –Philippians 4:6

God makes it pretty clear that it isn’t our job to worry. As hard as it can be sometimes, we just have to let it go and have faith that God is in control.  As Martin Luther phrased it, “Pray, and let God worry.”