Do Not Worry

Read: Luke 12:22-28

Nari sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at her math assignment.

“You’ve been looking at the same problem for ten minutes,” said Mom. “Is something the matter?”

“I’m worried about the game on Friday,” Nari replied. “What if we lose?”

Mom stopped chopping vegetables and put down her knife. “Follow me,” she said.

Mom led Nari to her bedroom and pointed to a cage on Nari’s dresser, where Mr. Whiskers, Nari’s pet hamster, was running on his little hamster wheel.

Nari arched an eyebrow at her mom. “Mr. Whiskers is supercute, but I don’t understand what he has to do with my game on Friday.”

“Mr. Whiskers runs on his wheel quite a bit, doesn’t he?” Mom said. “How much time do you think he spends running on his wheel every day?”

“He runs on it all the time,” Nari answered. “He probably spends four or five hours a day on it.”

Mom nodded. “And he uses a lot of his energy to run on the wheel too.”

“Yeah, he sure does!” Nari looked at her mom. “But I’m still confused.”

“With all the time and energy Mr. Whiskers devotes to running, how far has he run?”

Nari giggled. “Mom, that’s a silly question. He hasn’t run anywhere! He’s still right there in his cage.”

“Well, honey, it’s the same with worrying,” said Mom. “You can spend a lot of time and energy worrying about something, and you’ll still be in the same place you were when you started. That’s why the Bible tells us not to worry. Instead, we need to give our cares to Jesus.”

“How do I do that?” asked Nari.

“First, remember that He loves you so much He died to save you from sin and that He cares about every worry and problem you have. Pray about whatever it is you’re worried about and ask Him to give you peace and strength. Then trust Him do what’s best—even if it’s not what you were hoping for. Play your best at the game on Friday and leave the results to God.”

The wheel in the hamster cage grew quiet as Mr. Whiskers slowed down and then hopped off. Nari picked him up and held him in her hands. “Okay, Mom. I will.”

–Casey Comstock

How about you? Do you ever worry about things that are out of your control? It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of worrying that doesn’t get you anywhere. That’s why Jesus wants you to give your cares to Him. Pray about your worries and look to Him to give you peace and strength. Then trust Him to do what’s best in any situation, knowing He’s in control.

Today's Key Verse: Give all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. Psalm 55:22 (NLV)

Today's Key Thought: Give worries to Jesus