Faith lessens worry

I am thinking about hiring someone to mow my yard.

The idea grates on me and wounds my masculine pride. The yard seems to mocks me, "If you were a real man, I wouldn't look like this."

It's my yard! I should be able to whip it into submission.

I thought about my grass dilemma after reading Psalm 127:1-3. The three verses stress the vanity, the pointless nature, of trying to do anything apart from the Lord. Building a house and watching over a city absent of the Lord is not only futile but produces more worry than ever hoped to relieve.

The psalm also points out the No. 1 thing we all do when we think we have more to do than time to do it. We skip on sleep. Rising early, staying late. Rationalizing that eight hours of sleep is too many. Six should be fine. If I can survive on six, then why not five or four. Before long, cutting sleep takes its toll on you. Your lack of sleep costs you more than gained with the one hour of work. Worry, toil and general anxiety is compacted by three fundamental truths.

The Lord gives security. The watchman is over the tower, but it is the Lord who provides the safe haven. Faith does not absolve me of my responsibilities to care for what has been entrusted to me. Faith, though, reminds me that my security in this life and for eternity is not in what I keep away but in who keeps me.

There are many things to worry about. What and who is influencing my children? Will there be enough money at the end of the month? Will I ever get free of this addiction? The Lord can deliver a sense of calm amid your worry-fueled storm.

Third, Lord sees more and knows more than I ever will. I do not know what will happen a day, a year or even an afternoon from now. I do not know what the future holds, but as the hymn says, "I know who holds the future."

Confessing that I try to accomplish in my life what only the Lord can is a wound that heals. I cannot do everything. Nor should I. This admission is freeing. The Lord sees and knows, and He invites me to trust Him.

Now, where is that lawn guy's phone number?