Weight of the World
We are bombarded everyday with negative news about corruption, scandal, death, and destruction, which often evokes our fears and weighs down our hearts. This negativity can depress our mood and incite anger and frustration. Too often, I have seen how this ‘focus on all the problems of the world’ has created division, frustration, or concern between spouses as they argue politics, feel pressure to compromise values, or just watch as their loved one self-destructs over issues that they have no control over. It happened in my own marriage just a few years ago.
Caught up in my own hopelessness regarding the leaders of our nation, my wife saw me focused more on conspiracy theories and news hype, than on being joyful for my many blessings. It wasn’t until I listened to a podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz that my heart and mind finally found freedom from the chains I had placed on my own heart. The podcast that I listened to was called; “It’s Not Your Vineyard.” The message that I heard loud and clear was that this world is not my vineyard to control and fret over. It is God’s vineyard, and He is still in control. It is His job to work out all the messy details of judgment and redemption. My job is to do the Will of God everyday and to do the things that are within my control and to shine Christ’s light and truth into the world around me.
You see, Satan wants to destroy our spirits through getting our ‘eyes off of Christ’ and the mission God has placed before us. He wants us to focus more on the ‘raging sea’ around us, so that, like Peter, we will start to sink into the depths of despair, hopelessness, and wrath. In turn, the devil uses this anger to also self-destruct the relationships we have around us. But God says, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31). Once we learn to give to God our cares about the world and trust that He is watching over His vineyard and us, and we seek His grace to help us fulfill the mission He has set before us, we will finally know peace in a world that is at war. And that peace we find in knowing, loving, and trusting God, will radiate toward those we love and the world around us.
ACTION STEP: This week, turn off the news, trust God to deal with the ‘vineyard, and find more ways to let your light shine to your family.