“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” ~Corrie Ten Boom
Well everyone, we made it through the first week of school! Hopefully it wasn’t too stressful. If it was, don’t worry—keep your head up, it won’t last forever!
Speaking of worry, I’d like to talk a little bit about that. There’s lots of things that we as students can get worried about. Grades. Papers. Tests. Making friends. Living with roommates. Boyfriends. Practices. Performances. Finances. Work. Time management. Families back home. Extracurricular clubs. Planning our futures. Even our own spiritual walk.
Exhausting, isn’t it? We wonder why we’re always so tired at the end of the day, even if we haven’t done very much. I think a lot of it has to do with the things we constantly concern ourselves with. Our brains scream for rest and our hearts sigh with heavy burdens…and over time, our souls become parched in a dry and weary land.
Girls, we don’t have to do this to ourselves! I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times over: Jesus can carry our burdens. But it bears repeating for good reason—because it’s true. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Rest. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Unfortunately, we rarely can bring ourselves to give our worries to God. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to feel like we’re losing control, or we’re stubborn, or maybe we just don’t know how.
But you know what? It’s okay. We’re human; we can’t be perfect. And God understands that; that’s why he gave us a way to be forgiven and reconciled to him. He loves us, and he wants the best for us. Go to him, weary and burdened ones. Ask forgiveness for trying to do it all on your own. Tell him about each of the things that worries you, and tell him that they are all now in his hands.
Again, since we’re human, we will have the tendency to want to take those worries back out of his hands. When this happens, try saying this verse in your head or out loud: “Cast all your anxiety on the Lord, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7), and then give those troubles back to Him. That is my challenge to you this week. Don’t just memorize it for the sake of memorizing it, but instead use the power of Scripture to really do something for your life. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22). So run to Jesus. Give him your burdens, and rest. The God of love and peace will be with you.
And a life without worry and troublesome burdens? Now that’s a life less ordinary.
~~~
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