21 Days of Listening Day 11: Worry is Not from God

This Week's Reading: Matthew Ch 5-7 

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 6:33-34


During your quiet time does your mind ever get overwhelmed with worry?

I know that mine does.

Here is what happened to me the other day. I was relaxing on the beach in Hawaii after praying and just being quiet with God when all of the sudden my mind was flooded with random thoughts. I was thinking about things that I needed to do at work, finances, catching my flight back home; all things that caused me worry. 

But of course they didn't need to cause me worry in that moment. I wasn't due back at work for another day and of course they would be fine without me. My finances are what they are. I have a budget and a plan that will take me in the right direction. My flight home was over five hours away. I had plenty of time to catch my flight after having a massage and a relaxing breakfast. I was not pressed for time at all. 

Since none of these things should have caused me worry in that present moment then why was I worrying? 

This is another way that the enemy tries to break up our relationship with God. He tries to appeal to our nature (I have historically being a worrier) to break up our quality time with God. 

Jesus told us that we don't have to worry. Just as he cares for the birds of the air He will care for us even more. 

Any time you feel any negative thought or emotion then it is not from God. God will convict us to do right when we are wrong but this isn't negative. This is correction. 

Paul summarizes the difference between the things of God and everything else very well in Galatians chapter 5: 

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Any time we are feeling any of those fleshly things then we know it does not come from God. Any time we are feeling the fruit of the spirit then we know that it IS from God. 

This will help you in your quiet time with God. When you feel or hear negativity trying to elbow its way in ask the Holy Spirit for the fruit of the Spirit. Those negative feelings will melt right away.