What God Expects from Us
Dealing With Love and Worry
An unscrupulous used car salesman does not worry about his customers. The car he sells may or may not be any good, and it really does not matter to him. The price may be inflated and the interest unfairly high, but that is how he makes his living. The used car salesman also does not love his customers, although he may have a very great affinity towards their money. If the salesman opened his heart and began thinking about what will happen when the car is out of warranty, breaks down and leaves the new owner with a heavy dept and no car, he would not sell cars any more. One night he might start worrying about it. He might have dreams about how people’s lives are changed for the worse because he is dishonest with them. This kind of worry would unravel him and begin the long road to learning how to love others.
A dedicated doctor working in a hospital emergency room should not worry about his (or her) patients. He should have love in the form of concern and have understanding, but he should not become emotionally involved in the plight of the patients’ circumstances. On a busy day there may be dozens of people in desperate need of critical care, many of who will have significant life changes as a result of what happens. To provide the best care for all of the patients, the doctor has to focus on the job and love, but not worry. Even though some of the patients and their families will loose sleep that night wondering how their lives have been changed, the doctor must not. He needs to sleep well and continue serving the next day. If the doctor does begin to worry, soon his desperation will cause him to make rash decisions in a desperate attempt to alleviate suffering. He might make promises to patients that are medically impossible or try techniques that are unproven.
Worry Changes Through Destruction
In both cases, the unscrupulous used car salesman and the dedicated doctor may both end up unemployed because of their worry. Yet, in these examples we see that worry is an instrument of change. Giving your worries to God successfully offers stability and alternatives. If the unscrupulous used car salesman gave his worries to God, it would be an act of love that may still begin a cascade of events that would find him in a new profession. In many ways this is a solution for the salesman and an end to his biggest problems. His life may begin to be filled with greater honesty and love. Yet, for the dedicated doctor, giving his worries to God provides a solution that lets him continue in his loving service.
When God is in your thoughts, worry is more apt to be an instrument of God’s will. Worry is often a sign that there is one or more greater problems that require attention. The unscrupulous salesman may worry about his customers, but the problem is not with his cars or the customers, it is with his own compassion and commitment to God. While the dedicated doctor is in an honorable service, worry is a sign of some greater problem that is affecting his work. Maybe the hours are affecting his family life. Maybe a personal tragedy has made him hypersensitive to the hardships his patients are living through. No matter what the cause, the doctor must discover the problem and then find a solution.
Ballancing Love and Worry
There is a difference between being loving and being overly concerned or worrying. Each situation is a little different and the dividing line between being loving and worrying is not always easy to determine. Indeed, sometimes it is a moving target that keeps changing. However, deciding on a course of action and discussing the situation with others who have the wisdom and experience may yield practical solutions. Meanwhile, praying to let God’s will be done can help bring things into perspective and give some relief to the imposition of worry.
Articles in the Series
What God Expects from Us
Main Page
Not the Golden Rule
Piloting by the Commandments
How To Love God (and Everybody)
Dealing With Love and Worry
