by Erwin Bourne First let me ask you: Is worrying a sin? What does the Bible say? Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Phil. 4:6 NLT). This old adage could bear some serious study: More people die from worry than from hard work—because more people worry. My childhood was shadowed by “black Tuesday,” the day the banks went broke. The people of that generation never completely got over it. Vs. 7 continues: If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. I remember from school days the poem of THE ANCIENT MARINER. The swarthy seamen were plagued with foul weather. The sails hung lifeless from the rigging. The sailors were listless and mentally distressed. They could brave winds and high seas—but the doldrums subdued their spirits. An albatross flew low over the deck, and the mariner struck and killed it. The others thought this would bring bad luck, so they hung it around the unfortunate man’s neck. Thus the expression: “Like a dead albatross.” And also, in my teens, I carried the dread weight of a guilty conscience. I remember thinking, “If I get saved, will this dread load fall off? When the ancient mariner finally shook off the dead albatross, a breeze rustled the sails above and soon they were under full sail. The Psalmist writes in Ps. 32:3-4: When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, And I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline Was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water In the summer heat. I’m not a worrywart. Years ago I confessed my sins to God and I have surrendered my worries to Him as well. We’ve never been so swamped with cares, but I Peter 5:7 reads: Give all your worries to him because he cares for you. Erwin Bourne outreach_amazon@yahoo.com <HOME <ARCHIVES