“And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”
Luke 14:1-14 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.14.1-14.KJV
Fighting Fear and Trusting God
The list of things to think, worry, and debate about can feel endless: wars, viruses, finances, relationships, politics, religion, job security, natural disasters, the safety and wellbeing of our loved ones … the list could go on forever.
But Jesus told His disciples, who also had plenty to fear (death being at the top of the list)…
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
John 14:1 NLT
It’s a bold statement, but is it even possible to not be shaken by life’s circumstances? Jesus seemed to think so, because He said those words not long before He was nailed to a cross.
Jesus knew…
He's the source of true peace.
He's the source of real joy.
He's the source of freedom from worry.
Trusting in God doesn’t ensure an easy life, but it means we know He’s walking through life with us.
So how do we avoid getting stuck in a cycle of fear? How—practically—do we keep from getting overwhelmed with anxiety?