My biggest sin

If you look at me, you might think my most worst sin is overeating.  That would be a good guess and is likely a close second, but we’ll save that issue for another day. So what is my biggest sin? Well, like most people, that secret usually stays well-hidden. I try to pretend it isn’t that big of a deal, but really, it is. My biggest sin is worry.

I often joke, “I worry too much and I worry about that.” When in reality, it is no joking matter.  I constantly rob myself of joy, not to mention sleep, because I am always concerned about things in the future or even worse, things of the past. I worry that I should have taken my kids to church more when they were younger; that I, myself, should have been more committed to serving God. I worry about all the other parenting mistakes and bad financial decisions I have made throughout the years. Then, I remember that I cannot do a single thing to fix the past. So I move on and start worrying about things to come. I worry about my family’s future. I worry about those who are not saved. I worry about the homeless. I worry about the sick. I worry about the country. I worry I am not doing enough to help. I worry I try to do too much. You name it. I worry about it. Jesus is clear on the matter.

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?   Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27 (ESV)

Of course, the answer is NO. Worry does not add any value to my life whatsoever. My problem gets worse. When I take on all of this worry, I am essentially saying that God needs my help; that He can’t handle things on His own. That is the real joke here, people! We are not helpless by any means. We still have to wake up every day and attempt to make the best choices. We still have to show up and do hard work. But, through it all, God will lay a path for us. All we have to do is take it.

PROVERBS 37:1-4

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Occasionally, for a few days anyway, I do a really good job of this. I pray and the worries leave me. I am content for a while. Apparently, though, I don’t trust God enough because it’s just a matter of time before I take it all right back. So, I talk myself off the ledge and start the process all over again. If you are like me and allow worry to consume your thoughts, just remember that when all is said and done, and things do not turn out the way we thought they would, we don’t need to worry. God’s plan is better than anything we can ever imagine. Every time! So, stop worrying about it!