Skip to main content

Fretting

 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. (Psalm 37:1-2) 

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:3)

 It’s easy to get keyed up over things that are going on in the world. It seems like evil is everywhere. It seems like no matter how hard we try; we get nowhere but bad people reap rewards.  It’s also easy to fret when we look into our lives and see that all of our evil tendencies and bad habits seem to prosper, while good deeds, good intentions, and good habits seem to wither and die. We hear that we are to die to ourselves, and the fretting is kicked up a notch because we … just … can’t.

Now, let me start with what I’m not saying. I’m not saying give up. I’m not saying don't care. I’m not saying that sanctification isn’t a good goal or that we should settle for living as miserable failures.

What I am saying is that if we’re not to fret or be envious of people who do evil because, like the grass, they will soon wither and die away, then does it make sense for us to fret or be envious of the evil we find in ourselves, for it, too, is like the grass that will soon wither and die away.

When we spend our time and energy fretting (AKA worrying) about and being envious of the capacity of evil to be so alive in us, we’re showing more faith in the evil than we are in God, who is at work in us. Sometimes, people talk about reading the end of the Book and that “we win.” Well, if we win, then why fret? Why be envious? There’s work to be done, but it’s work that should be done in full assurance that His will shall be done.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more