By Practical Christianity Foundation, (PCF)

Psalm 37 exhorts us not to "fret" over anything at all. This simple but profound admonition may sound to us quite unrealistic, given all the struggles we face daily. We struggle with such exhortations because we are victims of our personality types. We always respond the way we know how. No! Life is not that easy. In the world of the natural and the familiar, we only do what we know to do. But there is a new order for our lives once our allegiance is radically transformed from our own domain to the Lordship of our Creator and Redeemer.

Say, let us consider our reaction to a dangerous wind blowing our way at a forceful clip:

• The pessimist is usually afraid of the wind.
• The optimist expects the wind to blow over.
• The realist convinces himself he must adjust to the dictates of the wind.

There-in, lies the crux of the matter. All of the three reactions are exactly the same in kind even though each response is expressed by completely different personality types. Given the natural order of the natural world, we cannot expect otherwise. We cannot expect the pessimist to be nonchalant like the optimist while shaking in fear. We cannot blame the optimist for not being analytical like the realist. Neither can we fault the realist for not being paralyzed with fear. It just proves that our way of life is confined to the dictates of our makeup as individuals. That is, we are governed by who we are and always respond to circumstances of life within the single framework of our specific mode of perception and response.

But the child of God is wise, balanced, stable, calm, collected, confident, mature, and rich in foresight. If we are still and know that our God is the God in charge, we will be aware of the dangers of the wind and respect its devastating force, know that it will pass, and make the necessary adjustments to deal with what is taking place. We will not be paralyzed with fear. We will not earn the idiot’s prize by ignoring the possibilities of danger or by daring brute devastation. We will not deny the reality of lurching danger and just work on the mechanics of adjustment.

So, let us not fret, Not because there is no danger or trial in life, but simply because our God is in charge. Let us not just react, but act by faith with knowledge and understanding. Let us not surrender to circumstances or our own reactive personalities, but be confident in Christ and respond by faith because God might take us: through, around, above, beneath, across, or away from situations. Our God is incharge of both, us and the circumstances, but He is always on our side. Let us not fret because the old godless and faithless self is no longer in authority, we are new in Christ. Let us not fret because we are not just heaven-bound ninnies waiting for circumstances to map our ways. We are the children of God the almighty and the servants of the Most High Who has given us wisdom to navigate the complexities of this world.

Yes, what we just said may come as empty words with no meaning to some of us because all we want is to know what to do. But the truth is, we must grow in our understanding of the One we trust because He actually cultivates the will to do within us. Remember? He lives in us by His Spirit. That is why we trust and obey.

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