CHRISTIAN LIVING : TRUSTING GOD
"God grant us the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know
the difference".
The serenity prayer is a good place to start. Marami ang nakahahanap ng peace of mind
sa prayer na ito. The Bible gives a basis for such a prayer, ngunit, ito ay nagbibigay pa
ng mas higit, mas marami and the Scripture tells us a great deal about the HEART OF THE ONE
WHO HAS ASKED US TO BRING OUR CARES TO HIM.
As a servant of God, we certainly are not immune sa ating mga alalahanin (worries). We are
living under the same pressure of society that everyone else is. In addition, minsan kahit na
ang ating spiritual convictions ay pwedeng maging source of worry.
Nais nating maging magandang halimbawa sa ating mga kapitbahay, sa school, sa office, so isa
ito sa ikinababahala natin.
We may even worry because we see ourselves as worriers. We know that we should not worry,
but we just keep on worrying. Funny but it's true. We do not know what to do.
The purpose of this is to help us see from a biblical and practical point of view.
Ano ba ang dapat nating gawin sa ating mga worries? By understanding what worry is, why we
worry and what the Bible has to say, we can turn our worry into spiritual growth.
WHAT IS WORRY? - It is a feeling of uneasiness, apprehension or dread.
These feelings are usually related to negative thoughts of something that may happen
in the future. Worriers live in the future. They spend a disproportionate amount of time speculating
on what might occur and then fearing the worst.
ex. "What will i do when my spouse came home tired and angry?...and many more.
"Seek to excel in the upbuilding of the church".
"Maging safe kaya kami sa bahay namin at ang bahay namin kapag lumindol?"
The primary New Testament word for worry (MERIMNAO) means to be ANXIOUS, to be DISTRACTED, TO
HAVE A DIVIDED MIND. It is the word Jesus used when said:
"Do not worry about your life". Matthew 6:25
"Be anxious for nothing". Philippians 4:6
People who worry are pre-occupied or distracted. No matter what else they may be
doing, one part of their mind is worrying.
WHO WORRIES?
EVERYONE! No person lives without some worry. A person who claims he/she does not have a care
in the world is in the state of denial. Every person who takes responsibility seriously cannot help
but feel certain amount of worry. It is one reason things get done! Some of the greatest world
leaders were worriers: Alexander the Great, George Washington, Winston Churchill.
Interestingly, many high achievers are worriers. They are driven by their worries about what might
happen if they fall short. But, people who appear to have laid back, worry too. But they did'nt
show it. Tunay nga na lahat ng tao, bawat isa ay nagwo-worry.
WHAT DO WE WORRY ABOUT?
It is sometimes said that worry superimposes the future of the present. WORRY is a preoccupation
with the painful consequences of what might happen.
1. Threats - You don't have to live anywhere like New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or Singapore
or in the Philippines, only to recognize the reality of the threat of crime. Suppose you live in a
high crime area and you have to come home late from work or after dark. You worry about being mugged
and you feel great relief when you arrive home safely and lock the door behind you. One reason
people worry is that "they are physically threatened". Ang ibang tao naman nagwoworry sila sa kung ano
ang iniisip or maaaring isipin ng iba sa kanila. Kailangan sila ay gumawa ng maayos o mabuti o kaya
naman dapat laging maganda at presentable sa paningin ng iba.
We trust into an unfamiliar or demanding situation. They worry about doing the right thing. Many
of these people avoid taking risks to escape the posibility of facing disapproval.
Still others worry about the "threat of abandonment". They need continual reassurance
that their spouse, family, or friends will not leave them.
2. Choices - Marami sa atin ang nagwo-worry kapag kinailangan na gumawa ng decision.
They will do everything para maiwasan nila ang maling decision na magagawa nila. This is true
even when they are faced with two good options.
a. natatakot sila or nababahala na gumawa ng maling decision
b. ending up unhappy
3. Past Experiences - We worry about the past things may happen again. Yung mga bagay na di
maganda na napagdaanan ng family ay baka maulit kapag nagkaron na ng sariling pamilya.
"Worry shifts the burden from God's strong shoulder to our weak shoulder".
Worry then, is a preoccupation with bad things that may happen. It is fear that we will
embarassed, suffer pain, experience loss, or to be inconvenienced. This leaves us with a choice.
We can choose to avoid the source of our worry. But this only increases the stress. Or when
we face it, take appropriate action and put it behind us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WORRY?
The bible teaches that there are two kinds of worry:
1. Negative - harmful, crippling worry
2. Positive - beneficial concern
NEGATIVE worry in the Bible is a troubled fretting anxiety. Jesus mentioned this kind of worry
six times in the Sermon on the Mount. He commanded His followers not to worry about the everyday
cares of life: food, clothing, shelter or even the future.
"Be anxious for nothing..." Philippians 4:6
"Cast all your cares upon the Lord for He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
But not to worry is bad. The Bible teaches also and speaks for beneficial worry.
In 2 Corinthians 11:28, Paul spoke of his "deep concern for all churches". The word translated
concern there is the same Greek word used for worry in the previous references. Paul was worried
about the believers so he wrote to them.
At sinabi rin niya sa mga mananampalataya sa Filipos ang kanyang desire na ipadala si Timpteo sa
kanila because He was concerned (same word) to their welfare. Philippians 2:20.
This was a good kind of worry that spurred Paul and Timothy into loving involvement for the sake of
others. We will use the word concern for this positive kind of worry.
When am I worried too much? We have moved from a healthy concern to an oppressive, crippling worry
when we:
* Feel guilty whenever we relax
* Are afraid of something all the time
* Refuse to look at our feelings
* Blame others for everything
* Have a vague fear of disaster
WHY DO WE WORRY?
Remember the time when the disciples were all in the boat in a stormy storm. Jesus sent
them ahead while He went to the mountain to pray.
Matthew 14:22-23
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