When I walked out of the house this morning, I was armed with more than just the fuzzy goodness of my favorite sweater (but seriously: this thing has reindeer on it) -- I was clothed in peace.
As a worrier, I tend to worry about oh, I don't know, everything. Big things, of course, like what if I can't find a job once I graduate from college, or what if my house burns down? But small things, too, like worries about my eating habits, homework assignments, job. Ridiculous, petty things.
For a long time my mother and others told me that worrying was a sin. That didn't sit too well with me. How was worrying a sin? What was I doing wrong to myself, to others? As far as I was concerned, I was just anxious.
As it turns out, worry actually harms my relationship with Christ. Someone who is webbed in worry is not walking deeply with the Lord. That's kind of a punch in the face, a wake up call to someone like me - how can I say I really know Jesus if I'm always eaten up with doubt?
I'm not always keen on speaking up in class. Whether this is common for most writers, I don't know, but it is for me. So I was a little reluctant to take an Ethics class this semester. How was I going to articulate my beliefs about the death penalty, when I wasn't even sure what my beliefs were to begin with? It was a little unnerving.
But God has been singing peace over me this week, and it has been wonderful. None of my worries about my Ethics class came true, and what was more, I felt so relieved to not have spent my entire weekend ruminating about it. Worry wastes a lot of time and energy! Instead, I spent that time talking to God throughout my day, fellowshipping with Him. It felt natural, and I definitely didn't miss the anxiety.
God is not just the God of refuge in our most intense storms. He is here through it all, beside us in whatever we are experiencing, whatever life has for us. Remember His presence in your daily life, because He wants to fight for you. All you have to do is be still.