Read Proverbs 12:25a NLT
Worry weighs a person down;
I grew up in the era of Gilligan’s Island. I loved the silly antics of the show…someone was always getting into trouble. On more than one occasion, a member of the cast was caught in quicksand and a hilarious rescue would ensue. I was, however, terrified of being sucked in and swallowed up whole by quicksand. It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned how rare that was and how quicksand really works.
The danger of being swallowed up whole by quicksand might be pretty slim, however, a person could quite possibly sink down to their waist and get stuck there if conditions were right. And, the more you move around in it, the more likely you are to sink deeper into it. It takes slow, deliberate movements of your legs to get out and keep yourself from getting sucked deeper into the sand.
That reminds me of worry and anxiety! The two go hand in hand and tend to suck you in. When worry and anxiety have you in their grip, they take your heart and your mind and focus them on everything that is wrong or could possibly go wrong. Fear ends up front and center in your life and it weighs you down.
Most of the time we are even anxious about things that will never come about and things we have absolutely no control over in the first place. And just like quicksand, the more you worry and struggle with anxiety over trying to control things, the stronger its hold is on you.
Anxiety and worry don’t have to have a grip on your life. God is bigger and stronger than anything you might ever encounter – or anything you could ever imagine you would encounter….you just need to trust Him and allow Him to free you. If you are feeling anxious – deliberately slow yourself down. Breathe. Refocus your scattered senses on the presence of God and release yourself into His control.
