......killers

Psalm 16:7-11

The birth of a baby, graduation day, the marriage of a child, the visit of a long-distance loved one –  all provide excellent opportunities for JOY to abound…or for worry to creep in and steal the joy.  Will the baby be healthy?  Will the graduate be able to find a good job?  Will the new spouse treat my child well?  When will I be able to see my loved one again?  The enemy loves to have worry lurking around the most joyous of occasions because he is all about stealing, killing and destroying.

Worry is one of the leading killers of JOY.  And who doesn’t have a family member about whom they are worried - a child, a parent, a spouse, a sibling?  Funny how their choices can rob us of our joy unless we recognize that worrying about them is rooted in our desire to control their choices, their responses, their future.  

So, if a lack of joy can be traced to our own control issues, fullness of JOY may be found in relinquishing control and recognizing that we have a Savior who is sovereign, who hears, knows, loves, and desires for us to spend time in His presence.  

As we begin to view worried thoughts as red flags, warning us that we are attempting to take control over someone else, we can choose to thank God that He is in control and at work, even when we can’t see what He is doing.  Thanking God is evidence that we truly trust Him.  Worry and trust cannot coexist.  Trusting God and thanking Him lead to JOY even when a difficult situation may remain unresolved. So the next time worrisome thoughts attempt to crowd joy out of your life, open your hands to the Father, leaving your loved one in His care. Read Psalm 16:7-11 and let the JOY flow in.

Prayer: Father, you know how I have worried and how worry can stamp out every last shred of joy in my life.  But thank You, God, that today is a new day.  I repent of trying to do Your job and acknowledge Your sovereignty and Your control.  Please forgive me for being impatient.  I know You will show me the path of life, for in Your presence is fullness of joy.  I trust You to work out the details.  Thank You, God. I am placing my family ALL IN Your hands.

-alison tomes