Give Up Worry Wednesdays, Day 1
Time to Rest
Day 1: Ash Wednesday
(Last week, in Introducing Give Up Worry Wednesdays we announced our Lenten series, which takes a weekly reflection from a transforming new book by Gary Zimak, Give Up Worry for Lent: 40 Days to Finding Peace in Christ .)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. — Matthew 11:28
As you begin this Lenten journey, reflect on an offer from Jesus that is too good to pass up. It doesn’t matter what is weighing you down or causing you to worry, the promise is the same—rest.
I remember hanging on to this verse during a very difficult time in my life. My wife was pregnant with our twin daughters, and the girls were not expected to live. In fact, they only had a 10 percent chance of being born alive. We had just left the perinatal clinic at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. An ultrasound had revealed that Mary and Elizabeth were still alive—although the prognosis remained grim.
We paid a visit to the hospital chapel and knelt before Jesus in the tabernacle. My eyes drifted to the writing above the sanctuary, and I saw the Bible verse at the top of this reflection. If there was ever a time I felt heavy laden, this was it. I accepted the Lord’s offer and imagined myself running toward him. Immediately, I felt the comfort he promised. I didn’t know how things would turn out (miraculously, the girls did survive), but for the moment, I was at peace.
It doesn’t matter how many Lents you have wasted in the past. Begin anew today. It is the first day of a brand-new Lent. Are you ready to depart from habitual worrying and follow him? He doesn’t promise a problem-free life, and he doesn’t guarantee that you won’t suffer. What he promises is something only he can give—peace. Not a worldly peace that ebbs and flows with your circumstances but a supernatural peace that can’t be taken away by the problems of life.
At this point, let’s not focus on how impossible it seems not to worry or how many times peace has eluded you in the past. Instead, concentrate on his words. Don’t you desire to accept his offer? It’s very attractive, isn’t it?
Now, here’s the catch. While the Lord’s offer is extended to all, you and I are free to reject it. Why would anyone do that? There could be any number of reasons, including that we don’t trust him or it seems too good to be true.
How about if you let this Lent be different than those in the past? Read and reread the invitation from Jesus. There are no caveats or qualifications. If you come to him, you will find rest. Period. Are you willing to give it a try?
Gary Zimak is a Catholic evangelist and author of seven books, including A Worrier’s Guide to the Bible, Listen to Your Blessed Mother, From Fear to Faith and Stop Worrying and Start Living. He is a radio host and frequent speaker at parishes, retreats and conferences and is known across the country as the leading Catholic speaker on overcoming anxiety. Gary serves as director of parish services at Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
