There is an organisation in America known as the Pennsylvania Worry Group.
It was established by a professor of psychology to study the whole question of worry
and to research ways by which worriers can be helped.
It discovered some interesting facts. For instance, 15 percent of the population spend
half their waking hours worrying; and more than thirteen million Americans of eighteen
years of age and over suffer from anxiety disorders. And women worry more than men.
By the way, the definition of a worrier is someone who worries more than ninety minutes
a day. All of us worry at some time and some people worry all the time. We worry about
many personal things – health, the family, work, money – and we worry about major things
like unemployment and the environment.
There was the poster that said, ‘Don’t worry, it may never happen’, and across it
someone had scrawled, ‘It already has. What do I do now’?
Quite often we worry about things that may never happen, or look at tasks that on first
sight may seem impossible. Thomas Edison, a genius among inventors, once said that the
only difference between the difficult and the impossible is that the impossible takes a
little longer. The greatest handicap that many of us have is a sort of defeatism.
Sometimes, when we hear of what difficulties have befallen others, we assume that it is
going to happen to us. But it rarely does. No person knows what they can do until they do
it. I know of people who worry themselves sick – literally.
In that frame of mind things can go wrong and frequently do. Of course there are real
problems, difficulties and heartaches, and it is then that we need a friend. Not someone
who will cause our troubles to evaporate – life isn’t like that. We need someone who will
listen and understand.
The best friend that any of us can have is Jesus. He knows all about life – He has been
there and done that. And we can talk to Him any time.
The Apostle Peter gave us some good advice. He said, "Cast all your anxiety on Him
because He cares for you." I know it sounds just too easy, but it does work. Try it.
Have a good week. Pastor Ron
Optional Bible readings: Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:4-9
Pastor Ron Clarke JP (Mark 16:15)
An e-mail from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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