Don't fret

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. – Psalm 37.8

Don’t fret.

Be care-ful for nothing.

Take no thought of tomorrow.

Don’t worry about your life, your clothes, what you are going to eat or drink…

Who can add anything to their height by worrying?

Oh that sounds SO simple, doesn’t it?

Just don’t fret because it only makes things worse.

I know that’s true. Fretting does no good and it makes things so much worse while we fret. Fretting causes us emotional problems. Fretting causes us spiritual problems. And fretting causes us physical problems.

And still we (some of us) fret. We know it is useless, we know it does no good, we know it harms us, and we know it displeases God. Why do we still do it?

At the root of fretting is a problem I don’t think we associate very often. The root of the fretting problem is pride. I can’t let go and let God sort it out. I think I have to do it for Him. To put it bluntly, when I fret I am saying that I am stronger than God, I am saying I am smarter than God, I am saying I need to handle something that He can’t handle.

If I had an easy answer to the problem of fretting I would tell everyone. Actually, there is an answer. We fretters need to learn to walk by faith. We need to come to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and then, and only then, the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep my heart and mind.

Don’t fret – it only makes things worse.