Temporary Atheism

     I saw the title of this article on a Facebook post this morning as I was getting my day in gear.  Actually the whole phrase was "worrying is temporary atheism."
     That really has me thinking.  All of us who claim belief in God would deny the charge of atheist.  But when we worry and get anxious over our circumstances or our tomorrows, aren't we acting like God is, at the very least, unaware or uninvolved?  Aren't we functioning at that moment like he either isn't there or at least doesn't matter?
     That's pretty harsh, but the more I mull it over; the more accurate it seems to me.
     As Jesus gave what we call the sermon on the mount (recorded in Matthew 6), he took a few minutes to remind the people of the importance of setting aside worry.  He challenges anxiety on several counts.

  1. It over emphasizes things that God says are less important (25-26)
  2. It is ineffective at accomplishing anything (27)
  3. It under estimates God's care for me (28-30)
  4. It implies that God is unaware of my needs (31-32)
  5. It skews my priorities (33)
     What do we do when we worry?  We try to figure out how we can keep whatever bad thing we anticipate happening, from actually happening.  And commonly; those anxious thoughts leave God out of the equation.  When I do that; aren't I temporarily acting like I don't believe he exists?
     Food for thought...
     What helps you when worry invades your day?

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