Freedom From Fear--Freedom From Anxiety

Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.

 

Jesus did not tell Martha not to work, but only not to be anxious about the work.  In all of us, there is definitely a Martha, but it may take a lifetime for Mary to emerge in us.  In fact, the old saying, "Don't worry; be happy" usually annoys most of us.  We think that if we are not worried, we really don't understand what is going on.

 

After spending a good deal of my life worrying--almost to the point of paralysis---I am deeply grateful to have been set free from that way of life, thanks to the freedom of the "sons of God," in the words of the Gospel.  Yesterday, I wrote about the freedom from fear that is given to us in Jesus Christ.  Few people realize the power of the Gospel -- they think it is something we read, think about, and somehow approve or disapprove.  But the words on the page are only describing a spiritual reality -- a power -- a Presence -- that God offers to anyone who will accept it.  It is possible to read the Gospel without experiencing what it describes, but once we experience the Presence of Jesus in our lives, it is not possible to deny His power to change us.

 

The real presence of Jesus in our lives -- and His power to re-shape us -- is the point of the Gospel.  It is not an historical document; it is the Word of God to us:  Take and eat, and be transformed.

 

Anyone who has ever spent some time in a yoga studio knows the healing and calming environment it conveys.  For just one hour, "Don't worry; be happy" is truly a possibility.  We breathe in beauty and peace and breathe out gratitude and joy.  It is the same with prayer.  We enter into the Presence of God, and everything changes.  For that time, we are different; we are Mary rather than Martha. 

 

Here is what Jesus Calling says for today:

 

Come to Me, and rest in my loving Presence.  You know that this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials.  As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget that I am with you -- now and always.  Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur.  Do not multiply your suffering in this way!  Instead, come to Me, and relax in My Peace.  I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust.