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Fruits
Of The Worry Tree
"Self-preservation
is the first law of nature." Everything has some
method of protection. Even the plants have "defense
mechanisms." Animals have shells, teeth, sharp claws,
are swift of foot or wing. Some of them produce noxious
odors. Some of them are unpleasant to the taste. The
octopus secretes an inky fluid with which to color the
water. Some animals have great skill in hiding themselves.
Some have electric defenses. Some are covered with spines.
Man has a natural instinct of self-preservation. He will
run or fight or secrete himself or use other methods of
defense. This law of defense is manifest in man's physical
contact with nature. This is known too well to need
explanation. He has also various mental defense
mechanisms. Likewise in spiritual things he seeks to
protect himself.
These various defense mechanisms have a powerful effect
upon our conduct. When we are brought into a trial,
threatened by something that will hurt or annoy us, when
we fear something, our defense mechanisms begin at once to
function. The first impulse is to run away, to escape from
the trouble. We shrink from what hurts. We try to avoid
trials and all hard or unpleasant things.
It is often the part of wisdom to avoid as far as we can
without sacrificing something vital, the unpleasant things
of life. But if we give away too much to this disposition
to shrink from things and to run away from them it leads
to cowardice. We lose strength of character, courage, and
the qualities that win in life. A coward can never feel
self-respect, and if we are spiritual cowards we shall be
lacking in manhood and womanhood. We cannot respect
cowardice even when it is in ourself.
This disposition to escape unpleasantness often leads to
an unfair excusing of ourselves in things in which we have
been at fault. It often leads to our putting the wrong
face on things, exaggeration, minimizing the facts, and
even to plain lying. These are the natural fruits of fear
and worry, but they undermine spiritual character. They
take the joy out of life. We need to watch our defense
mechanisms and be sure that we use right methods of
defense, methods that build up the character rather than
to tear it down; methods that increase courage, faith, and
determination. We should conquer the instinctive cowardice
of our natures. "Safety first" may be a good
slogan sometimes but safety through the measures mentioned
is not real safety. It is only exchanging one kind of
danger for another.
Another defense mechanism is the tendency to resistance.
When we adopt proper measures of resistance the results
will probably be good. We are likely to be strengthened,
encouraged, and helped. It is likely to bring out the best
there is in us. But sometimes this instinct of resistance
manifests itself in murmuring, complaining against
circumstances or against people, blaming others for our
plights or our troubles, shifting responsibility. These
may become chronic faultfinding and result in such a
critical attitude that we are hard to please, contentious,
ill-tempered. We may become disposed to become impatient
and find it hard to practice self-control. We may have a
sense of resentment against others and become unkind and
uncharitable in our attitude.
Not only those who are not Christians have trouble along
these lines, but many Christians are tempted in this way.
They worry and fear. They become discouraged and then the
characteristics mentioned begin to manifest themselves in
them. They have a fight to overcome them. They wonder why
they are impatient, why it is hard to be kind, why they
have a feeling of resentment against things.
We need not be surprised at this. It is only a defense
mechanism. It is Nature trying to escape from this highly
unpleasant situation. So, reader, you need not be
surprised if you have a conflict with these things when
you are worrying and when you have given way to
discouragement. To get rid of these things get rid of your
worry, your fear, and your discouragement. Then these
other things will naturally disappear. But if you are
given to worry do not expect to escape wholly from these
things. Indeed you are likely to have much trouble with
them. These are not necessarily the result of sin. They
are the result of worry and fear. They come from a wrong
attitude of mind, a wrong outlook on things, a wrong way
of trying to overcome difficulties.
In such a situation the outlook is negative. We need to
change to a positive attitude. We need to put faith in the
place of doubts. Trust instead of worry. Look on the
bright side instead of the dark side.
A negative attitude destroys faith and robs courage of its
strength, so we can bear little. It covers the bright
picture of hope with sackcloth. It banishes peace. Instead
of soul-rest we have turmoil and trouble. It robs us of
balance and poise. Confidence fades away. It gives place
to distrust. We lose our power of initiative. In fact,
worry and fear rob us of all the choice blessings we might
possess. They prevent us from using our powers and make us
pigmies instead of giants.
The triumphant life results from courageous action and
this courageous action is always based on faith. It has a
hopeful outlook. It faces the future with confidence. This
is the normal attitude of the Christian. But worry causes
heaviness, discouragement, dissatisfaction, despondency,
and perhaps despair. Long giving way to worry will change
the character. The blithe gaiety of childhood, the
courageous strength of manhood, the joyful song of
victory, gives way to moroseness and gloom. Clouds cover
the sky and we forget there are anywhere the glorious
beams of sunshine. We ruin our influence with others. They
feel more like shunning us than being in our society. It
shackles our hands. It robs life of what is most worth
while. If we will have a worry tree or a number of them we
must expect they will bear this sort of fruit.
Worry also has another extremely bad result. It dishonors
God. We say God is our Father, that he is taking care of
us. We say we have faith in him. We say we believe God is
faithful. Then we act in a way altogether contrary to
this. If God is our God and if he is taking care of us, if
we are safe in his care, if no evil can come to us without
his permission, then what are we worrying about? If God
really is what he says he is and what we believe he is we
have no reason to worry. Things are bound to come out all
right. God will find some way to bring us through to
victory. He will protect us against those things that
would injure us. If he is true our fears are ungrounded,
our worry is all for nothing. If we really believe God is
true and that he is true to us there is not a reason under
heaven for us to spend one moment worrying.
Again, worry dishonors God's Word. He has made definite
promises. These promises are true or they are not true. If
they are not true then we may have cause for worry. But if
they are true let us act like it. Do we actually believe
God's Word? If so, when we are tempted to worry let us sit
down, take that Word, and read its promises. Then let us
believe them and act as tho we believe them. When we do
this there can be no room for worry.
Worry ignores the help God has given us in the past and
the victories we have won through his grace; also those
victories we have won through our own strength. When we
are tempted to worry we should sit down and look over the
past and see how many things came out better than we
expected they would. We should ob serve how God has helped
us in the past and say with one of old, "Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us." It will do us great good,
when we are tempted to worry, to recount our past
victories; to look back and see that our past worries were
all for naught. When did worrying help anything in your
past life? When did worrying keep anything from coming
upon you that otherwise would have come? When did worry
shield you from any trouble? Get rid of your worry tree.
Get out from under its shadow. Get into God's sunshine. If
you will do this it will not be long until the song of
victory flows forth from your lips and peace and courage
and hope spring up anew in your heart.
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