Driving Blind

Years ago my family had a dear friend who was blind. He also had a great sense of humor. He told me once that he had learned to drive the car. He couldn’t see my questioning face, but he must have sensed it as he went on to say laughing, “I just tape my sticks, one to each wheel.” A sense of humor is a stress reliever in many situations, but at other times, our trouble in life is no laughing matter. Dr, Tony Evans once wrote, “Navigating life can sometimes feel like driving a car without windows — uncertain of where we are and fearful of what lies ahead.” Even so, Jesus clearly instructs us not to worry, but how can we turn off the worry faucet as it gushes out one bucketful of anxiety after another?

In Matthew 6, beginning with vs. 25 to the end of the chapter, Jesus talks about worry. He points us to the birds who don’t worry, yet they are fed. He draws attention to flowers who also don’t worry, yet they still bloom, dressed in colorful array. Jesus asks a question in vs. 27, Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? We know the answer; even so, worry churns on and on and on. Is there any help to soothe away our troublesome thoughts whenever they come?

Jesus understands that we humans cannot help but worry. It will come, but He tells us in vs. 32 what to do when it arrives. He says, Your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. It is so easy to fret away, digging bigger worry holes for ourselves. Instead, if we immediately call out to our Father, the holes take on a new look, no longer appearing ominous like they will suck us up any moment. We cannot think two thoughts at the same time. Therefore, when a worrying thought comes, if we replace it with a thought of acknowledging God is in control, that second thought begins to dominate the first. When we seek the kingdom of God above all else, we will end up in an attitude of praise.

Praising is an excellent worry killer. When we spend time thanking God for all He has already done in our lives, it is easier to trust that He will continue working in our lives today and tomorrow, guiding and blessing through every worry we encounter. Try it as an experiment and see what happens. When we praise, trust and joy grows; when we refuse to praise, worry embeds itself in our mind and despair takes hold.

We all drive blind thru life, but our Chauffeur is excellent in guiding along the way, easing stress, filling us with inner peace.