Cali is a specially trained service dog that works at a school for special-needs children in New Jersey.
As the children enter the school each morning, she sniffs them for high levels of Cortisol, a hormone released when people feel stressed or anxious.
If a child is agitated, a teacher can talk with them to find out what’s wrong.
Petting Cali also helps the kids calm down.
Cali is available to help the students in her school to relax, and in a similar way the Holy Spirit is available to us to empower us to relax in the Lord, and He is our source of God’s peace.
Jesus said:
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
This is impossible for us to do in their own strength.
When we face troubles and are tempted to be anxious, Jesus is not telling us to whip up a fake, smiley-face optimism nor to have no emotional reaction.
Jesus, Himself, expressed emotions, as did the psalmists and many others throughout the Bible.
We can obey His command through the Holy Spirit, or “Advocate,” who teaches us the truth from His Word and gives us His genuine peace of mind.
Everything that comes into our lives is by God’s sovereign plan to teach us total dependence on Christ.
The problem comes when we obsessively worry or are compulsively anxious about things that are under God’s control—and everything is under God’s control!
There was no reason for worry!
1 Peter 5:7 reads this way in the Amplified Bible:
“Casting all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
When we are developing an intimate relationship with Christ, we realize how much He affectionately cares for us and looks out for us.
“I have a mountain of credit card debt”, one man told another.
“I have lost my job. My car is being repossessed and our house is in foreclosure, but I am not worried about it”, exclaimed his friend.
“No, I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for me, and that way I don’t have to think about it.”
“That’s fantastic! How much does your professional worrier charge for his services?”
“$50,000 a year”, he replied.
“$50,000 a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?”
“I don’t know”, comes the reply. “That’s his worry.”
In a sense, we do have a professional worrier, like the man in the story.
Jesus wants us to give him every worry and concern because he is able to give us everything we need for each and every situation – give it to Jesus!
To get hooked up with this professional worrier – the cost is absolutely free – All we have to do is give Him our concerns and worries and He will take care of us.
Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today.
Yes, brother and sisters, simply let go and let Christ handle our worries.
Worry is no match for Him. My hope is that we will give our worries over to our professional worrier – Jesus Christ!
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Directory of Church Ministries