"Worry Free"

Our 6 year old, Joshua, is our confident, independent, conquer the world child. I had no worries about him going to 1st grade because Joshua can handle pretty much anything. About 2 weeks into school Joshua began to experience what the Dr. labeled as anxiety attacks concerning school. He would cry every morning and every night, he would have tummy aches, his chest would hurt until he could not breathe and he would bite on his fingernails every time you mentioned school. It was becoming a very debilitating situation. One particular morning as he left for school sobbing, I closed the door behind him and did the same. I began to intercede on behalf of my precious little man and I had friends who were being prompted to do the same. I called Matt and ask if he would go eat lunch with Joshua and check on him. As they ate lunch together Matt began to share some scripture with him. Matthew 6:25-34"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 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. Matt explained to Joshua that the Bible says do not worry and if we worry we are sinning against God and His word. Joshua replied, "Oh I didn't know worry was a sin. I guess instead of worrying I will just pray." Each day began to get better and better and just this week Joshua informed me, "Hey mommy, I'm over that school thing. I realized that I was worrying about things that may or may not ever happen and that is worry so instead I just pray." Wow, what a lesson that has been etched into the heart of my 6 year old and transformed his life. How many of us as adults "struggle" with worry on a daily basis. All it took for Joshua was to recognize it as a sin and decide that instead of living in sin, he would pray and lay it at the feet of His savior. I think this is what Jesus was referring to when he talked about "childlike faith." Joshua takes God's Word seriously. He doesn't want to live in sin. He wants to honor and please His heavenly Father. It is my prayer that we too can learn a lesson from the testimony of a 6 year old and refuse to live in the daily sin of worry and choose to live worry free as we pray and seek the heart of our Father concerning each and every situation.