Fret not yourself. . . Trust in the Lord. . . Rest in the Lord. . . Wait on the Lord. . .
Psalm 37
I was reminded of this Psalm Sunday morning when our Seniors Pastor preached the morning sermon. This Psalm wouldn't leave my thoughts, so I decided to read it for my morning devotions. It was pointed out to me on Sunday as well, that daily frustrations such as merely driving from point A to point B can result in a level of fretting - frustration, worry and/or anger, that can contribute to elevated cortisol levels in my body, further contributing to the physical ailments I am currently suffering from.
Our bodies weren't built to handle prolonged stress of any kind. So many times in Scripture we are told to rest, to lead gentle lives, etc. When we fail to heed these admonishments in Scripture, our bodies are the part of us to take the fall-out. How we allow ourselves to think and feel has a direct result on our body's ability to function properly.
I was aware of some of this a few years ago, and my mentor at the time was trying to get me to understand it to some degree as well. I'd be reminded that if I didn't take care to watch my activity level, that I could burn out. Am I the only one that interprets advice given in the context of situation at hand? I did learn to take time to slow myself down every day and spend time in God's arms. I grew to "need" those times to the point that when I began working full-time, I lamented those times being taken from me due to how life was on either side of the workday schedule.
Needless to say, I went to bed last night asking to fall asleep in my Lord's arms. It was a needed focus-shift from the thoughts of the day to my Unseen Husband, and it felt as though my head was resting in His hand and I drifted off. I slept very well last night as a result.
But while falling asleep in His arms is needful in my situation, and while quieting myself for a time every day to spend time in His presence as part of my daily routine is needful regardless of my situation, clearly there is more to learn regarding the four points mentioned at the beginning of this writing above.
Fretting involves not merely worry, but indicates frustration leading to potentially damning action according to Psalm 37:8. It amounts to taking matters into my own hands and taking action when instead I am admonished to wait on God and rest, trusting Him to take action for me. This thought is repeated throughout this Psalm and contrasted against how the wicked behave.
It is said that worry is a lack of trust in God to handle a given situation on our behalf. Fretting then would also be a lack of trust in God's ability to bring justice to a given situation on our behalf. Frustration does drive me to action, and I have not always been pleased with the results of those actions. The challenge now is to recognize when that level of frustration is upon me, and to give it over to God, trusting that He will manage it for me, then resting in that trust and waiting for God's timing in that situation.
It's interesting as I read back through my series, "Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey". There were times when God was seeking to teach me these concepts back then too. It appears I was doing what I could to act on these lessons as well. As a result, it feels like I've taken a few steps back on this issue and now my body is repaying me big time in some not-so-nice ways. Having said that, it is thoroughly possible that learning these lessons at that time only delayed what I am going through now, and that the full-time job was the last straw, causing me to see just how badly I need to apply these lessons to everyday life! Either way, I am here again, and needing God's gentle, merciful reminders to apply these lessons in ways that not only benefit me socially and spiritually, but that allow my body to heal up and return to proper physical management of everyday stresses.
Fret not yourself. . . Trust in the Lord. . . Rest in the Lord. . . Wait on the Lord. . .
