RELEASING YOUR WORRIES

RELEASING YOUR WORRIES

After preaching on Sunday morning, Cynthia and I always take time to greet folks as they are leaving. Some time ago, a smiling young mother approached me while the last few people trickled out of the sanctuary.
As we talked, I observed that she was intelligent, well-dressed, and looked successful. Watching the well-behaved youngsters waiting patiently behind her, I assumed that she was what our society would call a “Supermom.”
But when I asked if I could meet her husband, she began to weep. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she told me about her impending divorce. After enduring many years of verbal abuse, she was facing a bitter custody battle with a man who had vowed to do everything he could to destroy her life and her family.
She looked at me and said, “Chuck, I don’t know who I am anymore. He’s been telling me that I’m worthless for so long that I believe him. And I’m terrified that I’m going to lose my children. Does God even care? Does He remember me at all?”
Listening to the raw pain in her voice, my heart broke. How many other women pretend that everything is all right today when they’re terrified about tomorrow? How many others try to cover up pain and feelings of inferiority with a brittle smile and a false “I’m fine. How are you?”
We live in a culture that expects women to have perfect looks, perfect marriages, perfect children, and perfect careers, treating anything less with disdain. In more than four decades of ministry, I have seen the heartache caused by these false expectations. Every single one of us—male or female—is drowning in an unrelenting flood of fear, self-doubt, tasks, demands, and pressures. Believe me; even those who exude an air of confidence and poise secretly struggle with feelings of anxiety and inferiority.
But God never intended for us to remain caught in this emotional riptide. The apostle John offers a lifeline: “We know and rely on the love God has for us. . . . Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:16–18 NIV, emphasis added).
God’s love alone can calm the raging storms of worry and the thunder of inferiority in our lives. His love alone can be our strong rudder when fierce winds blow. His love alone can serve as our reliable compass when we lose our bearings. His love alone can be our safe harbor when we just can’t continue sailing on.
At Insight for Living, we have watched far too many Christian women struggle with anxiety and self-doubt. Each day, we read letters from people all over the world who share stories of pain, stories of lost hope, stories of anguish and fear. And we consistently recognize and respond to folks who have been worn down by circumstances, men and women who need to be reminded of God’s love.

Chuck Swindoll
Insights for Living