Fret Not

I am one of those people who, in their devotional life read something from the Psalms every day.  There are a variety of cycles that take you through the Psalms in 30 or 60 days or over a longer course of time.  Many many Christians through the centuries have said, sung, prayed the Psalms every day and found them a source of comfort, a model for praise and worship, a reflection of their sorrows and frustrations, and a place of surrender.

One of my favourite Psalms with well known verses is Psalm 37.  Some of the most famous words from this Psalm are:

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4

But what caught my attention today as I prayed with this Psalm were these words:

Be still before the Lord  and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways,  when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;  do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:7-8

And I was particularly focusing on the final phrase, “do not fret – it only leads to evil.”

We don’t often hear that word “fret” anymore. It was much more known in my grandparents and parents generation. But the anger and anxiety, the obsessing over a problem or something we don’t like  - that “fretting” - is very much a part of our generation and our time.

Whether it’s things that people do to us or things we read about on the news that we don’t agree with, or in our times the things that people south of the border are saying and doing that seem to be attacking our culture and country, we can live with worry that has an underlying layer of aggravation and anger. 

What am I fretting about today?  It’s a good question to ask and to allow God to show us because as we are told so clearly, “Do not fret – it leads only to evil.” What are we to do instead when we see things that are wrong going unchecked and experience injustice said or done against us? Look at the first words in the quote:

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently before him.” Psalm 37:7

That has to do with admitting that we can’t fix what’s wrong but that we trust the goodness of God to take care of us and to show us a way through what is currently triggering fretting in us.

But once again, as is so often the big question, are we willing to let go of our fretting?  Are we willing to surrender ourselves and our aggravations, including the people who are behind them, to God and leave it all with Him?  It’s pretty thought provoking to me that if I don’t, I’ll be the one who finds myself caught in evil.

Lord, what am I fretting about today?  Please work in me so I see clearly what that is and please help me to find the willingness to surrender myself and the source of my fretting into Your good hands.  As we so often say, “You are with us.  You are for us. You are working for good in our lives in all things.”  Amen

And I guess my response then, honestly is, “Lord I believe.  Help my unbelief.  Lord I’m willing.  Help my unwillingness.”  Let’s do our best to not fret and avoid the evil that results when we do.