ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

and eventually becomes obese.” 46 A doctor finished the exam and then spoke with his patient who suffered from an ulcer.The patient, obviously anxious about the situation said, “Doctor, I’m worried about the fact that worrying about my ulcer might make it worse.” 47 I’ve never seen a gravestone that read, “He died of worry,” yet many could. Certainly as with many negative emotions, worry and anxiety can break down a person’s health. Holocaust survivor and writer CorrieTen Boom, whose family helped protect Jews from the Nazis said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” 48 Jesus gave an indication of how serious the threat of worry can be by devoting a significant portion of His Sermon on the Mount to the subject (Matthew 6: 25-34). As we take a look at His words spoken on that fateful day beside the Sea of Galilee, let’s focus on this summary statement: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteous- ness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). I’ll cover two main points, splitting the verse in half by looking first at Jesus’ command: “ Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” As you can see, winning the war over worry begins with God.The word for seek in the original language is zeteo, which means “to crave or strive after.”As we discuss this concept of seeking, carefully consider the following: Draw near to God. On the night before He was crucified, Jesus said to His disciples, “Abide in Me” (John 15:4). His half-broth- er writes: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Abiding and drawing near mean that we will be devoted to, close to, and dependent on God. I recall running across this jesting question early in my min- istry, “Why pray when you can worry?” Early African converts to Christianity took their private times of devotion very seriously. It is said that each one carved out a place in the thicket where they would pour their hearts out to God. Over time, they’d form a well-worn

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