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(From totalexec.com, Depression despair)

Did you know that the Bible tells us to not be anxious or to not be afraid in more than 200 versus. Yet, I believe that satan’s biggest weapon in most Christian’s lives is to promote anxiety and we all fall prey to it.

Never does a week go bye that I do not receive calls from persons panicking regarding some aspect of their divorces that seem unsettled. Fear has set in and they are “basket cases” determined they are headed to total disaster. Most often their anxieties are regarding housing, finances, and the children. Upon asking if they are believers and feel secure regarding their eternity with God because of Christ’s sacrifice, they usually answer, “yes”.

 

Dallas Willard, in The Divine Conspiracy says, “Isn’t it interesting that folks can trust our Father to save us from damnation but do not believe that He can take care of our shelter and financial needs.” The former seems so much harder than the latter. And yet, we panic over daily needs.

I have been facilitating divorce groups for 20 years and have never had a trusting believer end up homeless or starved.   I have witnessed homes that had to be sold, finances greatly reduced, health problems heightened and children needing counseling. This is to be expected in any crisis. All of these concerns are the reason that we need a Savior! He wants to solve them for us if we would just follow His directives and trust Him for solutions.

Worry is nothing more than unbelief. Joseph Stowell in his book, The Upside of Down says …”it is the prerogative of God to rearrange, reconstruct, reinterpret, and realign [any] situation to bring glory and praise to His name.” God wants to use these situations to illustrate His love and provisions for us. Yet, we get so nearsighted, only thinking about ourselves and the need for instant gratification, that we miss His hand in our solutions and the lessons He wants us to learn. He has a reason for allowing hard times.

Donald Miller wrote a book entitled, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He says, “Every life is a story and we are characters in God’s story.” We are created for God’s purpose to glorify Him in his story. He wants us to have the personality and attributes and gifts that we have. Throughout the story, however, He wants to present challenges and events that will require us to grow and mature in order to make us more interesting in the story. These challenges will usually not be easy or a natural gift or they would not be challenges nor provide growth…But God knows the whole story. He knows we change over time with experience. [Miller, paraphrase]

In conclusion, Rev. Charles Stanley says, “There is absolutely nothing that will happen to you today that your loving Father doesn’t already know about. He’s allowed it and He’s already active in the solution.”

Just trust in God’s word as He says, “Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need.” (Phil 4:6)