There's Not Enough Room in Your Mind for Both of These

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? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Matthew 6:26-28

There's Not Enough Room in Your Mind for Both of These

Someone once said, “There’s not enough room in your mind for both worry and faith. You must decide which one gets to live there.”

We know what the Bible says about worry, but there comes a time when we have to transition from simply believing God’s word to buying into it.

Worry is a trickle of middle-of-the-night what-ifs. But it escalates, swelling into a rip tide, pulling us under and pummeling us to the brink of panic. When it takes over, our minds spiral into a woe-is-me mentality. 

And the tragedy is that we make no effort to check it or challenge it. We defend our worry. After all, isn’t it only natural to feel this way, given our circumstances? 

Aren’t we justified in dwelling on that dreaded court date or doctor’s appointment?

We even recoil when someone tries to encourage us. We feel we deserve to be scared, and we are going to sit in that fear no matter what. We stew in our defeat and helplessness.

But why do we want to camp out there? Why do we want to fight to feel helpless?

ln the book of Ruth, Naomi had every right to worry. The loss of her husband and two sons ripped her heart apart. Tragedy relentlessly pursued her, and now worry about the future trapped her in paralyzing fear.

Naomi spewed her lament out to her God. And Ruth, her daughter-in-law, was listening. 

As a Moabite, speaking about disappointment with her god would have been foreign to Ruth. Her main god, Chemosh, had a heart as cold as the stone he was made from. One would never dream of lamenting to pagan gods. They demanded appeasement and fierce reparations, especially Chemosh, who demanded child sacrifices.

But Ruth sees a different God as she watches Naomi appeal to her covenant God, Yahweh, despite her heartache and worry. She sees a personal God worthy of trust. She sees something she desperately wants.

Naomi had every right to worry, and you do too. But we can’t stay there. Like Naomi, we must take the next right step toward Bethlehem. Toward God, not away from Him. We must trust in Yahweh, our covenant God, who always provides a Boaz—a redeemer to relieve us of worry and fear.

If I could write a letter to my young self, I’d tell her, “Dear, don’t worry so much. 

Your doomsday mentality writhes its way into your mind and stays there like a bad song. Who told you your worries are bigger than God? 

You stumble exhausted through life because you carry the burden of worry around like a backpack full of rocks. Set it down, child. There’s not enough room in your mind for both worry and faith. Commit to choose.

Young Me, I’ve seen the future. Don’t waste any more precious time. Don’t just believe God’s word. You need to buy in. Perfect peace is the payoff.”

Jesus’ Message:

I see your tense shoulders and hear your shallow breathing. You snapped at your kids, and you haven’t smiled all day. You worry about decisions and outcomes you cannot control. Your out-of-balance emotions are on a spin and repeat cycle that knots your stomach into a tangled mess.

But remember they are only feelings. Do not let your feelings be the only voice you listen to.

You are spinning and striving and exhausting your energy trying to figure it all out. Free yourself from that impossible task and come and talk to Me. Tell Me all about the feelings knitting your throat shut and choking your joy. Lay down your need to control and know all the answers. Let me undo the knots. I am your safe place.

I never intended you to carry around the heavy burden of worry. My burden is light.

You do have a right to be afraid, but my children do not have a right to sit in fear because I died to set them free from those chains. Contemplate My unfathomable love for you. I am for you, and I am with you, holding your hand, no matter what you face. You picture the future, but child, you picture it without Me. 

Lay your torrent of feelings at my feet and walk away. Refuse to be ruled by them. Your emotions get in the way of your faith. They impair your sightline to Me.

Silence the swirling emotions. Sit in My Presence. Be still and know that I am God.

When your wounds are open and oozing, you must choose. Worry or faith. Remember that whatever the outcome is, I will bring good from it. That is My solemn promise to My beloved.