My wife has not been feeling well (sinus infection?, allergies?, anxiety?) for several weeks. We have been to the doctor three times and even had bloodwork done, but we are still unsure about the cause (and hence, the remedy) to her illness. More recently, this prolonged sickness and uncertainty has begun to take it's toll on my wife's mental and spiritual health as she wrestles with worry.
With acute instances of worry, sometimes it is enough simply to reprimand, "Don't worry about it. Everything will be OK." However, with chronic worry, a reprimand only aggravates the situation (I learned this first-hand in the car on the ride home). Something more is required - something that doesn't necessarily solve the physical problem but that does solve the worry problem. And what is that problem? 'Tis a focus on the self and the ailment.
So, what is the solution to the problem of worry? Well, at some point in the not too distant past, my mom gave me some wise advice when I was very worried about something. She pointed me to the following Scripture:
Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Here is the simple yet powerful solution: pour your heart out to God - both in petition and thanksgiving. He cares that we are troubled, and He wants us to find refuge in His infinitude. So, it is in the act of thanksgiving that we realize how blessed we are, how He is presently and actively involved in our lives, and how He has solved our problems in the past. The solution, then, is thus: it is a focus on God and His grace instead of ourselves and our depravity. Perhaps the most "excellent or praiseworthy" thing to think about is the atoning work of Jesus Christ. This principle of shifting our self-centered focus to a God-centered focus is echoed in Romans 8:6 (NASB):
6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
Well, we exercised this principle last night when she couldn't go to sleep because she was so worried about not feeling well. It's a catch-22: she feels bad and worries about it so much that she can't get to sleep, which makes her feel worse and worry even more. I prayed a simple prayer asking the LORD to heal her, and I began to verbalize all of the things we had to be grateful for. Her breathing became more relaxed, and as I began to remind her about the grateness of God and His wonderful act of self-sacrifice through the life of Jesus Christ, she drifted to sleep - peacefully.
This is grace - peace with God eternally, and peace from God presently!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you for your compassion and never-ending mercy. Lord, I thank you for your Word that provides practical solutions to real-world problems. Lord, thank you for caring about me and the details of my life. Thank you for listening to me and answering my prayers. Father, I pray that you, the Great Physician, will heal my wife and cure her illness. Lord, I pray especially that you will teach us to focus on You, the eternal solution, and not on our immediate problems. Lord, I ask this in faith and in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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