Don’t Suffer Twice

God’s Work of Art

Don’t Suffer Twice

 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:27 NIV

         I’m not sure where I was when I saw the church sign, but its statement smacked me between the eyes. It said, “Worrying means you suffer twice.” And I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Do you find that statement to be true, yet you still catch yourself worrying when you’re in the middle of a situation where the outcome seems unclear?

I guess it’s human nature to want to know all the things that will happen over the course of the next day, a week, or a month. It gives us an illusion of control if we can plan for scenarios A, B, and C. Sadly life doesn’t really work like that, and so we can find ourselves worrying about our finances, our marriage, our kids, our health, our job situation, our friends . . . and on and on. The list is really endless. But here’s what I’ve found: most of the things I worry about the most never actually end up happening. And even when they do, they’re almost never as bad as I imagined them to be. I totally get that bad things can and do happen all around us and to us, but worrying about all of those what-ifs doesn’t change one thing . . . except for maybe our blood pressure and our stress level. And in all our worrying and imagining of worst-case scenarios, we never account for all the grace and mercy God will pour out in our lives if we do actually find ourselves in the middle of the worst thing we could have imagined.

I try to keep this in mind every time I feel myself begin to worry about situations I can’t control. Life can be hard and scary, but worrying about this thing or that thing isn’t going to be what gets us through any of it. Only when we keep our eyes on Jesus, knowing that He’ll work even the worst situation out for our good, is what can help us keep our perspective and faith in check. And like that church’s sign said, “Worrying just means we suffer twice.”

So the next time you start to feel that familiar worry rise up in you like the fantastic beast it can be, remember that God has you in the palm of His hand and that all the worrying in the world isn’t going to add one single hour to your life. However, trusting Him is going to make your life infinitely better and filled with peace. And isn’t that what the world is really looking for?

Thanks for reading Pastor Dale’s Mid-Week Encouragement.  It’s not copyrighted so feel free to share it with someone who needs encouragement today. And, if you’re a regular attender of the Mt. Laurel Church of God, please consider reading Matthew 1:18-25 to get yourself ready to hear God’s message through Pastor Dale this coming Sunday, December 21, the fourth Sunday in the season of Advent!

Called to know the Way, go the Way, and show you the Way,

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.