no worries

Two business executives were meeting for lunch. The one executive asks the other, “So, how are you doing?”

His buddy says, “Great! Never felt better. All my ulcers are gone…and I don’t have a care in the world.”

“Really? How did that happen?”

Well the guy says, “My doctor told me my ulcers were caused by all the worrying and stress in my life. So here’s what I did. I hired a Professional Worrier. Whenever something goes wrong and I start to get stressed out, I just turn it over to him and he does all the worrying FOR me!”

The other guy says, “That’s amazing! I’d love to hire someone like that! How much does he charge?”

Stretching back he said, “Well the Professional Worrier is great… but it does cost me $100,000 a year.”

The other guys chokes, “A $100,000? How in the world can you afford it?”

"Oh, I don’t know. I let HIM worry about that!”

Philippians 4:6 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This weekend in our worship services everyone filled out a "Worry Card". We wrote down our top 2 or 3 worries and fears. Before receiving communion at the different stations, we dropped the cards in the "Worry Buckets".

Today we are beginning to pray over those cards for all the people of Faith Church. As I read through those cards, one by one, I am struck by the common themes of our fears. Money, work, parenting and family issues.

My prayer for each one is
- that the peace of God will reign
- that the people of God will trust
- that the power of God will prevail
- and that we would be counted FAITHFUL to the tasks He has assigned us

Things might not always turn out great in the short term, but Jesus has promised us that the end of the story will make it all worthwhile.