My worry was so bad that it really got me feeling down. I couldn't seem to make sense of anything, and anything I tried to make sense of, just seemed overwhelmingly difficult. There is one thing I know I am good at doing and that is worrying.
Sometimes I can find it quite difficult to deal with uncertainty in my life. I can think of all the worst scenarios that could occur and I can't stand the fact that I don't know what the result will be. It would be so much nicer if I knew exactly what would happen. But we all know that life isn't exactly like that. We can plan as much as possible to avoid undesirable outcomes, but there are just some things that are out of our control.
We all worry about something in any stage of our lives. I recently watched a movie called "Up in the Air" which tells a story of a man that flies around the United States firing workers on behalf of their employers. Throughout the movie, we are shown how different people react to loosing their jobs. Reactions varied from anger, pain, feelings of betrayal, worry to panic. People questioned how they would finish paying their mortgage, or support their families now that they had lost their jobs.
I am sure many of us can relate to the way these people felt. I know I would be concerned for my livelihood if I lost my job. So what do we do when we face challenging or difficult situations?
I was talking to a friend about my concerns and I kept giving her all these "what if" scenarios and she said to me: "why are you so afraid of the unknown? You should just trust in God!" It sounded like the perfect answer. So why was I still worrying?
As I was preparing to give a testimony at church the next day, I remembered a bible verse that I heard in a sermon long ago that spoke about swapping our worries with prayer. I felt so encouraged by it. The verse says: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4 verses 6-7).
I finally began to understand what it is I needed to do. Instead of dwelling on these issues, what I should have been doing was taking these things to God in prayer. The worry wasn't helping the situation. It was instead affecting my well being. We can so easily forget about the things that God has done for us in the past – how he has provided in times of need, or how is has given us the strength to take us through difficult situations.
I needed to be more thankful and trusting in God. I was then reminded of a proverb that says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3 verse 5-6).
Life can throw so many different things at us regardless of whether they are good or bad. I have come to learn that the important thing is how we choose to handle the situation. All God was asking for me to do, was to stop worrying and trust in Him.
I shouldn't have such fear for the unknown because I worship a God that knows my future and has a plan for me. He is the source of life, my provider and my hope. As I began to pray about my issues, I began to feel more at peace. I know I still have my moments, but I pray that God can continue to teach me to take these things to Him in prayer.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!- Excerpt from "What a friend we have in Jesus" (words by Joseph M. Scriven)
Kandima Awendila was born in Mozambique and lives and works as an IT Service Desk Engineer on the Gold Coast.
Kandi Awendila's archive of articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/kandima-awendila.html