Be Anxious for Nothing
Read or listen then scroll down to the end for questions to help you apply this to your everyday life!
Is it okay with you if I admit I had a day I wasn’t too proud of the other day? I dropped my daughter off at school, I had an amazing morning at the office, and then there was the afternoon. I was excited about something I had been working on, but when it came time to print it out, my printer just would not cooperate. I checked everything I knew to check. I tried everything I knew to try. I searched for further instruction online. And absolutely none of it worked. The more I tried, the more frustrated I got. There was absolutely no apparent reason why this printer wouldn’t be working. It’s the exact same printer I’ve been using for almost two years with no problems. I literally wasted the whole second half of my day trying to figure it out.
The time finally came when I had to go pick up my daughter. I packed everything up, headed out to pick her up, went home, printed out what I needed to print, and headed right back to my office to finish the final step. What should have only taken me about fifteen minutes to complete, ended up taking me the entire afternoon. The next day at the office I basically avoided working on anything that required printing.
I had a great weekend and I got up refreshed and ready to go Monday morning. I checked my email before I left home and there was something in my inbox I needed to print out to take care of that day. So, I decided to go ahead and print it from home before I tried to wrestle with the office printer again. When I attempted to print my document from home, it was then that I realized my home printer was out of ink! I’m not talking about low on ink where you get that cute little warning saying ink supplies are low. I was long past the warning phase. The printer had been cautioning me about my ink supply level every time I printed for the last few months. But I just kept pushing past it figuring I still had more time before I needed to buy a new one. So now, I found myself facing a message that commanded, “Change ink cartridge” and it wasn’t responding to anything other than the instruction it was giving me. I tried taking the ink cartridge out and shaking it. I tried turning the printer off and turning it back on. I was even tempted to lay hands on it and pray. But I knew even the answer to my prayer would be for me follow the instruction I had already been given.
So, I got myself together, I dropped my daughter off at school, I headed straight to my local office supply store, and I bought a new ink cartridge. I went straight back home, popped it in, and got my document printed. By the time I finished all that and my two scheduled meetings, my day was done before I could get to anything else. But I knew I would have to face that office printer the next morning.
I got up the next morning very prayerful. I really needed that office printer to work because I had checks I needed to print. I got to the office, I prepared all my documents, I queued up all my checks, and I searched online one more time for an alternative suggestion of what I could try to get this printer to work. I finally got up the nerve to delete the print driver from my computer. After I had deleted it, I came across a different suggestion that looked like it would have resolved my problem without having to start all over. I got really nervous, and to be honest, a little scared. Did I make the wrong choice? How do I even reinstall the print driver now? I just had to catch myself before I spiraled down too deep. I took a deep breath and I prayed. That still, small voice within me said, “Print the check.” “But…[sigh]. Okay.” I hit the print button. And for the first time in days, I heard my printer come alive!
Why do we allow things that are so minor to balloon into something that feels so major? Why is our first response to try to fix things in our own strength and why is our second response to seek answers from the world? Why do we expect to have a problem-free existence? Why do we get frustrated when things don’t remain the same? How is it that we find so much safety in our own back-up plan? And why do we get so frustrated when our back-up plan fails? How much of our lives do we waste by avoiding tackling issues head-on? How often do we ignore all the warning signs and then allow ourselves to feel like the victim when the inevitable happens? How often do we waste time trying to figure out how to get around following the instructions we’ve been given? Why do we continue to ‘pray’ for answers we’ve already received? How long are we going to allow ourselves to continue to live in fear? How much longer are we going to deceive ourselves into thinking we’re excited about the possibility of new beginnings and yet be fearful of the idea of starting over? How often do we fail to make the right choice because we live in fear of making the wrong choice? How many times do we hesitate to step out in faith because we continue to be held back by fear?
The Bible warns us that in this life we will have trouble, so we should expect it. And when it does come, instead of allowing ourselves to get stuck focusing on everything problematic, we need to instead choose to focus on everything praiseworthy. It wasn’t until everything was said and done that I finally stopped and got myself back to the place I should have been all along. “Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this computer. Thank you, Father, for so graciously allowing me to have not just one but two printers. Thank you, Jesus, for the money to purchase a new ink cartridge and to pay my bills. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for so sweetly instructing me when I literally did not know what to do. God, You are good and Your faithful love endures forever!”
Heed His warnings. Go to Him first for direction. Follow His instructions. Thank Him for His goodness. Trust Him with the outcome. Then, and only then, will you be able to be anxious for nothing.
Questions to Ask
· What is it in your life that has you anxious?
· What warning signs have you ignored?
· What instructions have you failed to follow?
· What do you need to stop and thank God for right now?
Scriptures to Study
· Philippians 4:6
· John 16:33
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