"One of the least helpful ways to stop worrying is to try hard not to think about the things we are worrying about. We cannot push away our worries with our minds..., Jesus' advice to set our hearts on God's kingdom is somewhat paradoxical. You might give it the following interpretation: ; 'If you want to worry, worry about that which is worth the effort. Worry about larger things than your family, your friends, or tomorrow's meeting. Worry about the things of God: truth, life, and light!'
As soon, however, as we set our hearts on these things our minds stop spinning because we enter into communion with the One who is present to us here and now and is there to give us what we most need. And so worrying becomes prayer, and our feelings of powerlessness are transofrmed into a consciousness of being empowered by God's Spirit....
Does that put an end to our worrying? Probably not. As long as we are in our world, full of tensions and pressures, our minds will never be free from worries, but when we keep returning with our hearts and minds to God's embracing love, we will be able to keep smiling at our own worrisome selves and keep our eyes and ears open for the sights and sounds of the kingdom.
Henri Nouwen in "Here and Now"
No comments:
Post a Comment