Worry. We all do it. We let it take over. We obsess, and if we have anxiety we really obsess. Ugh, I hate it. I can’t stand it when God wises me up and I realize how much time it’s taken from me. How many hours and days that I can’t get back… time I can’t make count. I think God knew that this would be one of the biggest struggles that his beloved would suffer with; after all there is actually a lot to worry about. As I write this I am in the thick of planning a wedding and preparing for marriage. I kicked anxiety to the curb and told a really great guy I loved him too. But then life happened and I knew I had a future to control. I needed a wedding that wouldn’t break my parent’s piggy bank, a guest list that wasn’t overwhelming, delicious food, dazzling pictures, a house to rent, money saved, and a healthy perspective of marriage. And a lot of other little things to decide and check off post-it notes. These are not bad things to accomplish, but the control of worrying about them creates an unhealthy idol. I used to think the commandment, “you shall have no other gods before me,” was about the Israelites and a golden calf. I remember thinking, “ok got it,” I won’t worship a statue or ask it for things. I see now just how healthy and useful that commandment really is. Idols are worthless. The golden calf that enraged God & Moses was a symbol of distrust. After the provided food and protected shelter from harm they still didn’t get it. They still asked a worthless item for security. We do the same damn thing! We look at a budget, problem, or decision and let it rise up. Mulling over a worry somehow gives us false security and control. And there it is. Control. It is the root of worry and the attempt to manage a future we can’t possibly see. This also happens to be the definition of anxiety. The fear of “what if” and the measures we take to avoid it in order to feel safe. But we aren’t in control and the Savior asks us to look at our problems in another light. He is urging us to remember that worrying subtracts time and that we have a God that knows what we need and when we need it. “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:27 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 Pretty straightforward and relevant.