I want to go back to the roots of this devotional and talk a little management philosophy. I’ve never been known as a positive person. My entire career was spent planning for the worst but hoping for the best. In management, you have to be on guard for the things that will hurt you or the organization. It’s important however, to celebrate when things go right. Many managers forget to do that. They become so focused on problem avoidance or fixing problems that they fail to recognize the great things happening around them. Managers worry about things that “could” happen and miss the good things that do happen. I won’t deny that there are a lot of things to be worried about these days. I would suggest that many of us worry about things that don’t exist or things that we anticipate will happen but never do.

What troubles you? Is it something tangible or is it something that you are worrying about before it actually happens? Week after week we are inundated with terrible news stories that seem to repeat themselves – mass shootings, global conflicts, climate changes, a rollercoaster economy or some horrific aspect of society. Are you getting ensnared by the negativity in the media and turning it into a personal struggle? So, what are you worried about? It’s impossible to avoid worrying so the key is learning to keep it in check. Others have suggested that worry and doubt is more of an emotional response and the best way to counteract it is through logic. Look closely at what you are worrying about and see if it is an actual or a perceived problem.

He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Luke 24:38

In this verse Jesus was speaking to His disciples when He first showed Himself to them. What if Jesus was asking you these questions? Why are you troubled and what doubts do you have? Jesus would tell you that you should be sending all of your worries to the Father. It can be argued that the emotion of worry (trouble) is a product of the devil. It is a great way to put separation between you and God because if you don’t think that God is with you in your life as a result of your feeling crushed by doubt, you will turn away from God.

Maybe you’ll rely more on yourself, maybe you’ll turn to “an escape” or maybe you’ll simply let the doubt take over and crush you. When these things happen, God is pushed away; just what the devil wants. Go back to Jesus asking you – “Why are you troubled?” He is speaking to you in this verse and wants you to stay close with God, especially in times of trouble. How will you answer Him? We’ve been taught in other verses to lift our concerns to God in prayer. Sounds like great advice.