Daily || Five

Worry has been my middle name lately. My mind gets one simple thought, and runs it into the oncoming traffic of fear and doubt and anxiety. They collide to cause a tightness in my chest and a heaviness in my heart.

This is something I'm absolutely sure that every single one of you experience along with me daily. Maybe some of you less, maybe some of you more. I know that you all understand this feeling.

It splits my heart and mind into halves. One half, let's call it the fleshy half, quakes in fear and plays on repeat the worst possibilities ever. The other half, the Spirit half, tries to calm the other with the logical and promising word of God. It is a war to let the Spirit half win. It's a war to let the Holy Spirit bring the all consuming joy and peace God promises us.

It is a war to surrender our lack of control to the God who knows all and is All. Some days throwing up our white flag and letting His cavalry take over is as easy as breathing. Other days, we can't seem to find a single white garment in our sin blackened lives to make do as a flag of surrender. We seem to hold our worries in our tight fists as though we are hanging on for dear life. Except holding onto those worries sucks the breath out of us and seizes up our weak, human hearts.

Today, as my thoughts seem to be worry after worry after worry, I'll find a flag of surrender. I'll whisper to Jesus to wash my ugly rag clean enough. I'll ask him to hold it up for me. Through the shaky breaths, I'll ask Him to call the cavalry that fights for my peace to take over my dark, spiritual battleground.

Surrender all today. All the worry, doubt, fear, anxiety. Just throw it at His feet and let Him take over the battle. Throw yourself into his control and trust His never failing promises. Look to Him, the author of Peace. Here are some verse to claim over you worry today, tomorrow, and always.

Seek the LORD and his strength;

seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicle 16:11 (ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (ESV).

And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (ESV).