Today is a very gloomy day for me.
I’m going back to college soon. The worry, stress, and nervousness have already kicked in. Hence, I am a very uneasy, unsettled, and unhappy person right now. I feel panicky, grumpy, and anxious all at once. My heart is racing as I write this, and so is my mind.
This semester will be full. So. Full. How am I going to make it? How am I going to thrive—or at least survive?
Last year, I wrote about returning to college after winter break and how un-ready I was. This year is no different. Once again, I say goodbye to break and hello to college.
In other words…
Goodbye, entertainment, comfort, and enjoyment; hello, stress, loneliness, and frustration.
Goodbye, loving family, cozy bed, and delicious homecooked meals; hello, countless peers, old bed, and tiresome cafeteria food.
Goodbye, sleeping in, relaxed pace, and free time; hello, sleeping issues, hectic schedule, and burdensome tasks.
The Cure for Worry
Needless to say, I’m worried about leaving home. If I listed all my worries right here, you’d be reading for a while. Honestly, worry is like a disease that I allow to invade my life.
This morning, as I thought about all the daunting adventures ahead of me, I laid on my bed in silence. And I journaled a prayer to my Savior and begged for direction and wisdom. Immediately, I thought of Matthew 6:25-34, which is the passage where Jesus commands us not to worry because He will care for us. Reading this passage, I let the Father speak to my anxious heart.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NASB)
Seeking the Satisfier of Our Needs
In reality, it doesn’t matter what major I pick. It doesn’t matter whether I take 19 credits or 12 credits. It doesn’t matter whether I have 20 friends or 5 friends. It doesn’t matter whether I take 7 classes or 2 classes.
It simply matters that I seek Christ.
It matters that I seek Him above a college degree. Above a well-paying job. Above a lot of blog followers. Above a book contract. Above a certain number of friends.
How about you? What do you seek? What do you worry about? Your family, friends, marriage, finances, home, school, job, church, or car?
Maybe you dread the next season of life…or maybe you dread the next hour of your life. Maybe you think your life will be miserable in years to come…or maybe it’s miserable right now. Maybe you worry that bad things will happen to you…or maybe bad things are happening as you read this.
Either way, the truth of Matthew 6:33 applies to all of us. Because, in reality, it only matters that we seek Christ. Above a long retirement. Above athletic ambitions. Above likes and shares on social media. Above a brand-new car. Above a different living situation. Above a future spouse or children.
Moving Forward without Fear
Sure, we’ll still have to make big decisions and plan for the future. It’s important to count the cost of our choices and be wise. But sometimes we become too focused on weighing the pros and cons, and we don’t focus enough on simply following Scripture. Life is definitely complicated, but that’s often because we (myself included) choose to complicate it.
Let’s begin to uncomplicate life by trusting Jesus’ words:
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NASB)
I know it’s going to be hard to return to college, but I don’t need to stress about it. And you don’t need to stress either. Yes, change is inevitable—but we always have the choice to trust God. Since worry is our fleshy, sin-nature response to change, we must ask God to help us seek Him above all other things. We can only turn from our worries if we remember that He knows exactly what we need.
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