The most terrible calamity that can befall a child of God, especially preachers, is WORRY and FRETFULNESS. It seems that some are more prone to this great sin than others, myself being in this number.
The well-known 'story of "Chicken Little" is an apt illustration of the fretful person. "The sky will surely fall today," but it does not. "Surely some great catastrophe will overtake today," but it does not. "There MUST be bad around the corner," but we round the corner with every nerve tense and there is nothing there.
Suppose there HAD been that bad monster of difficulty and trouble to confront us. Our Lord has already passed that way and overcome the obstacle. (Hebrews 2:18.)
The most difficult thing for us to accomplish is a meek and quiet spirit. Almost all of our great fear of the sky falling would be done away with if we "put on" some things. Ephesians 3:12, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
We CANNOT do this of ourselves, but of late God has helped me in this direction. Each morning, instead of mounting my charger and running off in every direction to slay the monsters of worry, my wife and I VERY CASUALLY read a Psalm and meditate therein. We read Psalm 5 this morning which begins, "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation." Did you know the Lord WILL consider your meditation?
Verse 3, "My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, AND WILL LOOK UP," (not look AROUND, but look UP.)
Do you know what this will accomplish? That old worry of wanting to strike back at that church member who was so unkind yesterday in his words melted away, and I prayed for him in his fault - and I mean, PRAYED with tears. I realized that he has a great fault, but at the same time, my own greater faults came home to me. I remembered Ephesians 3:13, "Forbearing one another,"
No brethren, the sky will not fall today, but YOU will if you fret. The sky is sustained by omnipotent power. The greatest calamity that you fear, and fret about, and fret yourself into a state of disorganized frenzy about probably will not happen; and if it does - "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not..." (Psalm 37:7).
"Trust in the Lord and DO GOOD; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed" (Psalm 37:3).
"Which of you by TAKING THOUGHT (fretting, worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature?"