- Pst. Gavin Aleogho
For more than 3 years now, Nurse Kemi has been the one helping Mama with her routine medical check-up. She comes to Mama’s residence to do this every week. This appointment was agreed on because of Mama’s health condition. Hence, Mama’s children made this arrangement with this nurse to avoid sudden uncontrollable medical conditions.
Of recent, after checking her vitals at different times for the last 3 months, she discovered that Mama's blood pressure and sugar levels have been normal, unlike before. Everything has been very okay to the astonishment of Kemi.
"Mama, which food or supplement you dey take?" Ask Nurse Kemi. "For some months now, everything dey okay with you. I happy for you well well oh."
"My pikin, I no dey think again," was Mama's direct response.
When Mama was narrating the story to my wife she said that since she made a decision to worry less, she has experienced improvement in her health. Indeed, worrying and thinking affect one’s health.
No wonder a medical personal, Charles W. Mayo, M.D. said, “Worry and stress affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects heart action.”
We worry too much these days. The hardship in the land and the uncertainties in our world are making a lot of people slip into depression. Fear of the unknown and the many challenges confronting humanity have fueled man’s tendency to worry more.
The question remains, “Has anything changed because of our worries?” No. Like Jesus would ask, “And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not!” Luke 12:25 TLB.
I remember what my beloved brother, Daniel Awa always said when we were serving (NYSC) many years ago, "Things have a way of sorting out itself." If you are not lazy and you are doing what you ought to be doing; taking responsibilities. I can assure you that, with God on your side, give it some time; things will indeed sort itself out. You will look back to discover that you've made steady progress.
The Lord’s promise to everyone is this, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28.)
There is a rest we are supposed to receive by coming to Christ. However, only a few find this rest. If you don't learn to worry less you can't experience the rest that God has given to us in Christ Jesus.
You may not be able to completely eliminate worries, because each day always comes with it many reasons to be worried (Matthew 6:34). From the daily news on the media, the problems of your neighbours, and family members and the many challenges confronting you personally. All these are enough to make one sleep in depression.
You must learn to keep your mind in God's love. I know it won’t be easy. Even as a Minister of the gospel, I also have my share of life’s challenges. Thank God for my wife who has been a major encourager to me, besides the Person of the Holy Spirit.
I remember talking to a very dear sister in the Lord of my worries; that was a few months back. She responded and challenged me saying, "Are you not the one encouraging us? Your daily quotes and scriptures that you always sent out are encouraging thousands out there." She was invariably saying that she expected me to live without worries considering my depth in God and my vastness in scripture.
What she never knew was that every quote and encouraging word that I sent out were words that the Holy Spirit had used to comfort me. Hence, from the comfort I have received from the Lord, I use the same to comfort others.
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 1:4
Pastors are also humans with expectations, trials and problems. One major thing that gives a pastor concern is when he says that through his prayers and counselling God brings solutions to other people's problems, while his own problems remain unsolved. It can be confusing!
I talked about myself just to let you know that I understand what it means to be disturbed in your mind due to unsolved problems and unmet expectations.
Lately, I began to understand that you can have peace even in the midst of the storm. You mustn't wait for the problem to be solved before you enjoy your rest in God. Before the problem is solved, you can stop the thinking. For that thinking and worries is affecting your psychological and physiological health.
I discovered that with time, some problems will automatically be solved. I have had to ask myself, "Why did I have to go through such trouble, troubling my soul? If I had known that things would sort themselves out, I would not have lost my sleep and spent many hours in worry."
I am still mastering the art of worrying less. It is a possibility that you can find in God. With the instrument of prayers coupled with the art of meditating on God's promises, I am making progress in this regard.
Life is full of problems and challenges. When you solve one problem today, another will rise up tomorrow. If you wait for all your problems in life to be solved before you become happy, then you will perpetually dwell in grief and depression.
Cheer up, my brother.
My sister, cheer up.
Learn to live each day as it comes.
Celebrate yourself.
Celebrate your little achievement.
Don’t kill yourself over what you can’t change.
Give yourself a treat.
Stop postponing your joy till when you get that breakthrough.
While you wait for your expectations to materialize, enjoy the moments.
Pray about everything. “O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” When you cast your cares on the Lord, don't take it back after prayer. Take your problem to the Lord and leave it there.
Life is too short to live through it with worries.
Rest in God's love!
.png)
