After The Work

Imagine you get into your car in the early morning. Half awake, you put the key into the ignition and… nothing. No dash lights, no clicking, no turning of the engine. Your heart falls flat, perhaps somewhat confused this early in the AM. Frustration can rise, perhaps anxiety about getting to your destination on time. Opening the hood, you get the battery charger and place the cables on the battery; guess you better call and let them know you are running late.

Sometimes the battery is dead because there is a drain on the power. Are you sure that stereo you installed yourself wired 100% correctly? Did you leave on an interior light that drained the batter? Perhaps the alternator doesn’t charge the battery anymore? A slow, unnoticeable drain eventually leads to breakdown.

Worry does the same for our lives. It drains the battery within. It takes literal energy to think anxious thoughts, your heart rate increases, ache in your stomach intensifies. Worry enough throughout the day and you come home exhausted both physically and mentally! How many hours have you wasted worrying about what you will say, planning contingencies, and catastrophizing?

Worry can keep us safe and at times give us the motivation to plan ahead or gear us up for a performance. It is a natural reaction in our bodies, but like any emotion, can surround our minds like a swarm of bees. How can we deal with excess worry in our lives? Speaking to a doctor or counselor certainly is a wise idea if your anxiety dominates your life. You may need some help to make headway in these waters. Those are only half the answer.

The other half is to realize that we are powerless over much of life and the future. We can make plans, but they won’t be perfect. How many times have you played a conversation over in your mind only to have it go nothing like you thought before? We do the footwork, put in the proper time, but stay out of the results business!

Proverbs 16:1 gives us one clue: “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.” In other words, we plan and set our hearts on our goals, but in the moment we will have the words to say if we are at peace and in the moment. You are likely prepared for what comes, especially when we speak from the heart. We do not have to think about what we will say quite as much when we answer honestly, truly, and with empathy.

Later in verse 3 we read: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” The act of saying “OK God, you got this now.” is a simple but powerful prayer where we are getting out of the results business. We can lay the plans, but what may come is found in Providence. What is wonderful is that God will give to us what we need, and even the desires of our hearts, according to his purposes and will.

This is a great mystery and at times can lead us to despair or even anger at God when at the time life seems to be unfair, or that God is saying “no” to us. Like a parent knows what is best for the toddler, so God cares for us as spiritual children. That is why so much of faith involves surrender. We may not like it, but there is much peace in saying “Not mine, but Thy will be done.”