It was one of those sermons with the potential to rock your world and tonight it certainly rocked mine.
And I needed rocking. I worked myself into this vicious circle and needed a shot of perspective.
Tonight, Dominic delivered a talk on Luke 12:1-34, entitled Do not be Afraid, Trust Jesus. As someone who battles with anxiety, worry and depression I needed to hear this.
22`Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear....25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
I've got to say that I have wasted, by one way of thinking, the best part of a year because I'm frightened of getting sick again.
I've wasted a lot of energy worrying about little things and, occasionally big things, but rarely did I hand it over to God and feel release from the burden of worry. I still do it, although I am more aware of it now than then, even though I realised I was playing it far too safe.
Isn't hindsight wonderful?
I've had a very can't-do attitude to a lot of things and as a result made the smallest molehill into Everest. I'm a bit more relaxed on that front but I still do it probably once a day at least. I think about what I can't do and despise the fact that, in my head, I can't do it. It doesn't usually occur to me that I can do it, even if I have to make an adjustment.
I have to say that, despite everything that has happened I can do many things: I can work, drive, walk and run, in fact I can pretty much do anything. So why have I been feeling sorry for myself? Because things changed and I wasn't prepared to change with them. I look around and see people in wheelchairs, people who have lost mobility and can't do the things we take for granted. I can still do these things. I should feel lucky. All I can think is how unlucky I have been.
How does this relate to tonight's sermon? Simple, I need to learn to live a life not ruled by worry, fear and anxiety. What have I got to lose?
(If anyone wants to hear the sermon, go to Christians In The Media and go to the downloads page, the sermon will be listed under the Luke series.)
2 comments:
It was a ripper wasn't it Ray! I really needed to hear it too!
It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of people have similar thoughts. Sometimes the simpler sermons are the best, we are guilty at times of getting too bogged down in theology. Not that there's anything wrong with it, it just isn't as instantly applicable.
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