Two of my biggest problems: overthinking and worrying. I can appreciate being thoughtful– thinking through circumstances from every possible angle… the problem is that I start creating angles that were not there to begin with. And then I start worrying about those angles. And then I add a few twists to those imaginary angles…. and by the time I’m through, the problem has gone from a square to a knot of tangled threads, my mind and heart being just as tangled. Last night was just such an occasion: I was curled up in bed, and my mind wouldn’t stop! I sought the Lord, and my mind desperately searched through its files of memorized Scripture to find an answer to the situation. It wasn’t helping– I kept getting verses mixed up with each other, and random distractions intruded on my thought process. Then a verse emerged: slowly rising to the surface of the raging waters of my conscious. The Lord had cut it loose from the depths of my heart and sent it to me.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

–Mathew 6:33 (emphasis mine)

“Yes, Lord,” I said softly, before finally falling asleep.

This morning I spent my devotions reading Matthew 6. It was exactly what the Great Physician ordered.

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute. When things are out of our control (which is really everything– all the time!), what can we really gain by worrying about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There are really only two choices left to us: trust the Lord and obey Him; or try to pry our lives out of His grip, then watch it fall apart when we finally see our hands aren’t strong enough to keep it together.

God is in control! Stop worrying– instead, seek the Lord!

Seek to know Him.

Seek to love Him.

Seek to serve Him.

… and everything else will, in a sense, take care of itself. So “Take no thought!”

“Be careful for nothing{don’t worry about anything}; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

–Philippians 4:6,7 (emphasis/note are mine)

When we focus on the Lord, when we give Him our worries, frustrations, our very thoughts, He takes them and gives us peace in return. Seek Him first! It’s a command; it’s a choice.