Worry, according to Merriam-Webster, is "to think about problems or fears : to feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened or could happen". Anxiety is very similar to worry, anxiety is "fear or nervousness about what might happen". Anxiety and worry go hand in hand and can cause similar problems. All human beings are worry about something at some point in their life.
What do people worry about? Why? People worry about an assortment of things in life, such as change, the future, past mistakes, money, or what other people think about them; all of these things are out of our control. We, as humans, worry about things that are out of our control because we like to be in control. Humans are not in control of everything, God is in control, He is, after all, the Creator of the world and everything in it; Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Why shouldn't people worry? Worrying never actually helps anyone or anything, it has no power to change the outcome of a situation; in Matthew 6:27 Jesus says: "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?". Jesus' question here is rhetorical, because no one can add an hour to their life by any means, let alone worrying. The other reason not to worry is that worrying can lead to anxiety, which can cause health issues, like high blood pressure, panic attacks, headaches, and sleep loss.
As I stated earlier, God is in control; Psalms 46:10 says, "Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth." We just need to trust God as Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us to do: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." God will always provide for his people; Matthew 6:31-32, "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
I'm not writing this post to sound self-righteous, I'm speaking from experience. I have been and can be a worrier, so I know how ridiculous worrying can be. I'll give you an example of when I have worried: when I was in eighth grade, I had a spinal fusion surgery to correct scoliosis. "Fusion is a surgical technique in which one or more of the vertebrae of the spine are united together (“fused”) so that motion no longer occurs between them." I wasn't worried at all about the surgery because I knew how much it would benefit my body; after the scoliosis was corrected, I lost the ability to eat by myself. I wasn't worried about having help eating, I was worried about having help eating in public; as in, I was worried about what other people would think.
Along that time, a friend of mine showed me Galatians 1:10, which says: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." This verse taught me that I shouldn't be worried about what other people think, I should focus on serving God through whatever challenges arise in life. The other thing that showed me why I shouldn't worry about this was the support of my family and friends; you guys know who you are, thanks for the support. Since I got over worrying about having help eating in public, I haven't worried about as many things. Getting over that one worry was the first step to dealing with worrying as a whole.
So, the next time you worry about something, take a step back, pray, and trust that God knows what He's doing. Henry Ford put it best, "I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?"
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Respect vs Political Correctness
According to disability-rights.org, disability etiquette is "preferred etiquette when meeting, introducing, writing about, assisting, or enjoying the company of a person who has a disability." Disability etiquette is part of political correctness. Political correctness is "conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated". As you are probably aware, political correctness is considered very important these days.
Respect, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a feeling or understanding that someone or
something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way". Respect can also be defined by Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (commonly known as the Golden Rule). Respect should be given to everyone, including people you disagree with or people who dislike you. Luke 6:27-28 says: "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you". Romans 12:14 is very similar: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
What is the difference? Respect is given to someone because "all men are created equal." No one person deserves more respect than another person, regardless of appearance or situation in life. Acts 17:26 shows how all mankind is created equal: "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Now, political correctness is applied to certain groups because they have a disability or have a different skin tone. Political correctness can turn into trivial sayings instead of the truth – it makes situations awkward for everyone involved, by making people think they are going to say the wrong thing.
An example of political correctness is: "Say 'person with a disability' rather than 'disabled person.'" (taken from http://www.unitedspinal.org/disability-etiquette/). There isn't a difference in the two phrases except the former is considered offensive, whereas the latter is considered appropriate. I use many of the terms for physical disabilities that are considered offensive to describe myself and I am not being self-deprecating. For example, I use the terms: handicapped, disabled, confined to a wheelchair, and crippled. Political correctness turns into sugar coating instead of honesty. Being respectful is telling the truth in a cordial manner.
Just as a disclaimer, by no means am I justifying disrespect or rudeness. The intention of the post is to provide an explanation.
Respect, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a feeling or understanding that someone or
something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way". Respect can also be defined by Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (commonly known as the Golden Rule). Respect should be given to everyone, including people you disagree with or people who dislike you. Luke 6:27-28 says: "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you". Romans 12:14 is very similar: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
What is the difference? Respect is given to someone because "all men are created equal." No one person deserves more respect than another person, regardless of appearance or situation in life. Acts 17:26 shows how all mankind is created equal: "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Now, political correctness is applied to certain groups because they have a disability or have a different skin tone. Political correctness can turn into trivial sayings instead of the truth – it makes situations awkward for everyone involved, by making people think they are going to say the wrong thing.
An example of political correctness is: "Say 'person with a disability' rather than 'disabled person.'" (taken from http://www.unitedspinal.org/disability-etiquette/). There isn't a difference in the two phrases except the former is considered offensive, whereas the latter is considered appropriate. I use many of the terms for physical disabilities that are considered offensive to describe myself and I am not being self-deprecating. For example, I use the terms: handicapped, disabled, confined to a wheelchair, and crippled. Political correctness turns into sugar coating instead of honesty. Being respectful is telling the truth in a cordial manner.
Just as a disclaimer, by no means am I justifying disrespect or rudeness. The intention of the post is to provide an explanation.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Does God give people diseases?
Many times when someone is diagnosed with a disease they blame God; blaming God is a common human reaction when difficulties of any kind arise in life. Is it God's fault that someone gets a disease; does He give people diseases? My answer to both of these questions is no.
Now, why do people get diseases? Frankly, I have no idea why people get diseases. Isaiah 55:9 says: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." God acts without telling humans why, he doesn't have to tell us why. His ways would likely confuse us if he did tell reveal them to us because His ways are higher than ours. No matter what happens to anyone, God allows things to happen for a reason. Here's why I believe that: Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
From my experience as a disabled person, I have been through things in life that God gave me the strength to get through. I don't know God's plan for my life, but I know He has a plan for me (even with a disability).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)