April 19, 2007
The Peace-Of-Mind Game
READ: Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. —Psalm 23:1
In her down-to-earth book More Than Sparrows, Mary Welch tells of her discussion about worry with a group of teenagers. Although they were Christians, they were as worried as unbelievers about the common things of life. As she lovingly listened to them, an unusual idea came to her for a game they could play. It went like this:
Instead of saying, “I’m worried,” stop and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Then add, “So I’m worried to death!” The students laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but they all promised to play this new “peace-of-mind” game.
Later, Mary received a phone call from a young woman who had been paralyzed by worry over an exam she had been dreading to take. She said, “I must tell you how the game helped me trust God today. As I froze with worry, I remembered to say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd . . . so I’m afraid I’ll fail!’ Suddenly I felt the strangest peace of mind. I laughed at myself, then I took the exam—and I passed!”
Saying “The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am worried to death” is more than a mind game to point out the absurdity of worry. God can use this contradiction to bring us to a fuller trust in Him.
Why worry when you can pray?
Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay;
Don’t be a “doubting Thomas,” rest fully on His promise.
Why worry when you can pray? —Peterson
© Renewal 1977 Singspiration, Inc.
Worry is the interest you pay on borrowed trouble.
