A couple days ago, just when we thought we’d get out of work on time for once, two patients walked in just before closing. Frustrated, one of my co-workers started to complain about how inconsiderate people can be, inconveniencing everyone else.
Thankfully, another worker had the wisdom to get us all back on track. He said, “We can fret and complain all we want, but we’ve still got to see them.” Recognizing good advice when we heard it, we buckled down and got to work. Before we knew it, we were on our way home, having made our two patients feel a lot better.
We humans waste a lot of time and energy fretting about things. We fret about the weather, about the latest bone-headed thing some politician has done, about the state of the economy, and about the emptiness of our own wallets. We fret about imagined wrongs and unkind words. We even fret about our own mistakes and failures. In the end, however, all our fretting doesn’t solve a thing. It just makes us more miserable than we were before.
No wonder David warns us in Psalm 37:8 to “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” Fretting leads only to hard feelings, increased stress, and dissatisfaction. It can even affect us physically, causing our blood pressure to rise, increasing our risk of heart attack and stroke.
This coming week, let’s not waste our time fretting about things we cannot change (or even things we can). Instead, let’s follow David’s advice to “Trust in the Lord and do good,” to “Commit your way to the Lord”, and “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” (vs. 3, 6, 7).
Remember “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him” and “a future awaits those who seek peace.” (vs. 23, 37). Today, put your hope in the Lord and don’t fret about things you can’t change. Instead, trust the One who never changes and let “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,…guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
God bless and remember, don’t fret – just trust! It’s going to be a great day!
Happy Sabbath!