Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

So do not worry saying ‘What shall we eat or what shell we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34

This scripture has become so imperative for me to live by in the last year. When my husband stepped away from his very secure University job to pursue something different, I was a little nervous. When within just a month that opportunity proved not the right path, I became frightened. But I knew one thing, going back to his “secure” job was not his heart, nor was it going to be his happiness. As a wife, no matter how much it worried me, I could not ask him to do that. (After all in all of our financial struggles he has never asked me to go get a job, because he knew it was my heart to be at home with my children.)

In every marriage book you will find that the number one thing a woman needs is security. Which compliments great a man’s need to provide and be respected. If the man provides, the woman feels secure and respects her husband, right? It is how God created us, so why would He ask me to step out of my comfort and security? Answer… because no matter how much he would like to be, my wonderful hubby is not my source! And the more I depended on him to be my source the more stress I applied to him, and the more intense and painful it became with us.

God asked us, me, to take a step of faith, and Ben went full time with his web design business. Anything less would have been a compromise for him, and I knew it. The first few months were difficult, because I was still putting pressure on Ben to bring in the income. Then, with some wise counsel from a pastor of ours, I realized I was not only worrying today about tomorrow, but I was not trusting God. Somehow something clicked in me (a lot of prayer!) and I saw my problem. When a bill would come in I would not give it to my husband and say “how are we going to pay for this” I would say “here is another bill God has to take care of”. We would not know where the sources were coming from, but every time we prayed we would get a phone call from nowhere, someone wanting a website. Once we even had quite a large amount due, and we knew that it would not be coincidence for God to meet this one. I fasted the day the bill was due the entire day, Ben had a meeting that day. At five o’clock as my fast ended Ben called me to tell me that he had received the money for a website, full amount upfront, and it was more than enough to pay that bill.

Even in the sacrifices we felt we had to make, God has provided.It is in all the little things that shows how much He cares. In January we felt like we needed to not eat out, as we had done so much of it over the holidays. One particular Friday I was not looking forward to cooking, and really wanted to go out to eat. That day we got a gift card to a restaurant from Ben’s grandmother, a late but very timely Christmas present. God knew I would need that to be in the mail that day, and we did not have to feel guilty about going out to dinner!

Why do I tell you this? What is it that you are fretting about today? Is it money, your children, your marriage? I don’t know what it is, but I know God not only knows about it, but He has provided for that situation before you even knew it was a problem. When we realize that life is more important than food, the body more important than clothes, and that stress or worrying does not add anything to our life, we can walk in freedom that if God provides food and shelter for the birds of the air, surely He has provided even more for you! (Matthew 6:25-31)