A couples days ago, I started reading a book that my mom sent me called, "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. In it, she talks about a missionary named Ella who lived in extremely difficult circumstances in Africa, yet was known for being a calm, content person. How did Ella do this? She once wrote in her journal "Never dwell on tomorrow--remember that tomorrow is God's, nor ours".
Linda writes, "her tomorrows belonged to God. She has given them to Him. And because all of her tomorrows were nestled in God' strong arms, she was free to live today. One day at a time she could make the right choices and grow to possess the holy habit of contentment. Ella's focus was eternal, and her focus led to an internal contentment".
These words blew me away. I know Jesus says not to worry about tomorrow, but it had never really sunk in before. My tomorrows belong to God. They are held in His hands. So why should I worry about them? I am not in tomorrow, but God is. I can do nothing about tomorrow, but God can. He has tomorrow held in His omnipotent hands. It is not my job to worry about tomorrow, it is my job to trust the One who holds my tomorrow. Because I trust that God has tomorrow, I can live in freedom today. I can focus on being faithful today, knowing that God has whatever comes tomorrow in His control.
When I was praying and thinking about this a couple days ago, I felt the Lord tell me, "Hannah, I don't need you to trouble shoot for me" ....ooofff, that hit hard. Often, I am anxious because I focus on all the things that could go wrong in the future. But the all-powerful Creator of the universe doesn't need me to identify all the things that could go wrong with His plan. He just needs me to trust Him.
Linda Dillow writes further that we find true peace from anxiety comes when we are content, when we trust that what God has planned for us is GOOD.
"Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God’s hand what He sends because we know that He is good and therefore it is good.” --J.I.Packer
While reading this book, I realized that one of the reasons I am so often anxious is because I don't truly believe that God has good planned for me. I still believe deep down that my plans are better, and that I can make good, maybe even better, decisions than God if I just take things into my own hands. I know God is in control, but I just don't believe that whatever he has planned will satisfy me. How selfish and self-centered that sounds! I don't trust that the God of the universe knows better than me? I don't believe that my loving father wants the best for me?
When I stop and say, "God, I believe that what you have planned for me is GOOD. I choose to trust you and be content with what you have given me", then immediately, peace floods my heart.
The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
Paul learned to be content. He learned it through the strength of Christ. Because we carry within us the same Spirit of God, we too can learn to be content. We too can do all things through Christ who infuses us with strength.
Lord, would you teach me to be content? Would you help me not to worry about tomorrow, but entrust my tomorrows to you? Would you help me to trust that what you have for me is good? Give me your strength, O Lord, to be content.