I have a good friend who sends me jokes and humorous stories on a regular basis. In the last batch of funny material was a story I’ve been telling lately. With apologies to those of you who have heard it already, I’m telling it again in printed form.
Jack had been a compulsive worrier for years, to the point it was ruining his life. Finally he found a specialist able to help him. His friend, Bob, noticed a dramatic change and asked what had happened. “I hired a professional worrier and haven’t had a worry since,” Jack replied. Bob asked, isn’t that expensive?” Jack answered, “He charges $5,000 a month.” Bob exclaimed, “Five thousand! How can you afford that?” “I don’t know. That’s his worry,” Jack answered back.
That story reminds me of two serious truths. We humans tend to worry about many things. Also it would be helpful to have someone who could lift those worries off our shoulders. As believers in Christ, we are assured that we don’t just have someone to handle our worries, we have The One. Let us hear His advice, His offer, and His promise.
In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not worry…” in one form or another over five times in just a few short verses. His promise was that God would take care of His children because of their value to Him and His love for them. Jesus makes a wonderful offer to the restless worrier. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Echoing the teachings of Jesus, the Apostle Paul issues the following invitation. “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” (Philippians 4:6-7 TLB)
-Pastor Terry