There’s an old story that goes like this: A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day, when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn’t hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. “HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? “HELP!” He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?” “Yes, yes! I can hear you. I’m down here!” “I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?” “Yes, but who are you, and where are you?” “I am the Lord, Jack. I’m everywhere.” “The Lord? You mean, GOD?”
“That’s Me.”
“God, please help me! I promise if, you’ll get me down from here, I’ll stop sinning. I’ll be a really good person. I’ll serve You for the rest of my life.”
“Easy on the promises, Jack. Let’s get you off from there; then we can talk.”
“Now, here’s what I want you to do. Listen carefully.”
“I’ll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do.”
“Okay. Let go of the branch.””What?” “I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go.”
There was a long silence.
Finally Jack yelled, “HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?”
Sometimes we’re like Jack hanging on by a branch…or twig…and we’re afraid to let go.
Worry is all around us. Look, there goes worry now with your medical bills. Made you look! Isn’t it interesting that worry is all around us and many times we allow it into our lives, hearts and minds? You might argue that we don’t really want to allow it into our lives yet it seems to find a way all by itself. Stresses of life, difficulties, and anxieties have been around since Adam and Eve stressed about which fig leaf they were going to wear after they were kicked out of the garden. We struggle daily with these stresses in our lives but do we really have to? Are they a part of you and me? Do they dictate whether or not we will sleep tonight?
Truly Jesus’ words about worry are for all of us today, when He said; “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
We are spoken to directly from the Son of God in this passage and told not to worry…so why do we still continue to struggle with this issue in our lives? Could it be that we have not relinquished control over every part of our lives to Him? Could it be that our trust of God and his providential care only goes so far and then we take back our control again? I have found this to be true in my life, all too often and ashamedly so, I have allowed God to work in my life up to a certain point, only until something or someone gets the better of me and then WHAM I’m taking charge and trust of God goes out the window.
Learning to trust God in all aspects of our lives is very difficult. It was never meant to be easy. Yet, when we relinquish control and allow Him to lead and to handle our areas of anxiety and fear we can begin to grow and fully mature in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Do you have worries today? Then: Let go! Let go and allow God to accomplish something amazing in your life! Just…let…go…!
Pastor's Ponderings 