Stressed Out?
Oct 18, 2011 Aviator Worship
Posted by
Jordan
A few days ago, Olivia, (worship leader at Aviator Derby) posted a blog about worry, and how to counter it with worship. (check it out HERE.) I wanted to elaborate on that during this post and talk about stress. I have been reading “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan lately and found this quote from the book:
Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.
Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control.
Sound familiar? I don’t know about you, but I have a major tendency to stress out and worry about things way too much. Recently I came to terms with the fact that I have this habit where I plan out everything, and then strategize on how to go about achieving that plan. If I hit a roadblock I reevaluate and make new versions of the plan. (I think I am on version 47,092 of “the plan”) The point is I have a natural tendency to put more faith in my plans than in God.
Blame it on society, blame it on human nature, the point is we have to fight these habits of thinking that we have to plan every little thing out. Obviously it is good to be prepared. But sometimes you just have to believe that God is bigger than the stuff you are stressing out about! Check out this quote from James 4: 13-15.
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Here you have a prime example with a couple of people making plans without consulting God first. Too often we make plans and ask God to bless them, instead of following the plans that God has for us which He is going to bless because they are His plans! We must get into the habit of living our lives following the next step God has for us and stop pushing God to show us steps 1-12 and what the ultimate result will be. We are humans! We mess things up! If we knew all the steps we would probably screw it up! But if we follow God as He reveals His plans little by little everything will work out.
Now this means that sometimes things won’t make sense. Things may not add up on paper, which means that we have to have faith in Jesus, that He will continue to provide, and that if we are obedient to what He asks of us, even when it doesn’t make sense, it will all work out in the end. So stop stressing out about stuff that you were never meant to worry about! Turn to Jesus, give it all to Him, stop making plans, and have faith in the God that created you for a purpose. Jesus will never let you down, period. Believe it.
-Jordan Golden
Worship Pastor, Aviator Church Derby
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