“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Romans 5:3-5, NLT
My phone buzzed the other day with a notification from the kid’s school. Severe weather was on the way! My mind swirled like the doppler image of the hurricane headed toward our area. Rejoicing is the last thing that comes to mind when I feel worried. Instead, my mind immediately begins to troubleshoot everything that can possibly go wrong and scramble to make a plan. I never want anything to catch me with my guard down!
- Where should I take the kids after school?
- Will our house be safe?
- What about the dogs?
- Should we leave town or risk riding the rough weather out?
Maybe you can relate? Do you try to think through every possible scenario and how you might respond when life goes awry? Anxiety is often our response to life’s unwanted surprises. Our minds race to get ahead of anything that can and might get thrown our way. We exhaust all our emotional energy in an unfruitful effort to stay ahead of uncertainties.
But I’ve never, not once, been able to overthink my way into predicting the future. Worrying and overanalyzing, assuming the worst-case scenario, does nothing to calm my anxious heart. Frankly, most of the time, it just leads to more anxiety. However, the good news is…
Read the full devotional at Crosswalk.com here.
