Is This A Molehill Or A Mountain?

IS THIS A MOLEHILL OR A MOUNTAIN?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are

coming on the earth, ...

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord.

LOOK AT HOW WORRY IS DEFINED?

Choke, strangle, to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping at the throat,

to touch or disturb something repeatedly, to subject to persistent nagging,

to afflict with mental distress or agitation, to make anxious, fret,

to have an ill effect on someone’s peace of mind.

DEFINE GROWTH?

To spring up and develop to maturity, to increase, expand,

to foster and bring to maturity.

DEFINE MATURITY?

Slow careful consideration, attain a desired state, stable growth rate, to develop, to be ripe.

1. I again ponder, today I ponder: what is growth? How do we evaluate growth? If growth

is simply numbers, God is really pleased with cemeteries, because people seem to be

dying to get in? Yes, growth is numbers, but we want to look at personal spiritual growth,

maturity. What hinders personal growth and maturity?

2. There is more to growth than just being busy? We must look why are we busy and what

are we busy about? We praise a bee for being busy! We swat and kill a busy mosquito?

Ponder the difference? What are the effects of worry and fear doing to God’s people?

Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are

coming on the earth, ...

3. Worry’s role plays havoc in destroying the quality and quantity of a Christian’s life and faith.

The number 1 killer in the world today is WORRY.

Worry is a type of doubt. Worry is mental distress, agitation. Worry is the way our enemy

steals our peace of mind, and kills the active faith.

4.THE MORE MANURE THERE IS, THE MORE FLIES THERE WILL BE! THE MORE POSSESSIONS THERE ARE, THE WORRY THERE WILL BE! Often the more we own the more we tend to worry.We are in life for a short visit., so we should not hurry, nor should we worry. We must take the time to smell the roses. Humans alone have the distinct ability to worry. We worry away our joy and happiness. What hinders personal growth and maturity?

We worry away our precious lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to

cope with the thought of death, and totally unable to ... SIT STILL.

To sit still requires faith. We had rather run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. We want to

scream and tell others how unfair life is. I learned how unfair life was in Kindergarten. The pretty girl in front of me had 64 Crayola crayons, I had 8. She would not loan me her flesh color crayon to color people, it would dull it. I knew it had a sharpener on the box. I always drew Indians, they all had red skin. I had no choice. Well, I graduated college without ever owning a box of 64 Crayola Crayons. Several church people bought me boxes of 64 and now I have two boxes of 96, but it would have been good 40 years ago.

Well, I have made it. You will too. God has a plan, why not trust HIM?

April 15, 1998 we had a storm that totaled our van and destroyed my son’s two vehicles. A few days later,

the TV news broke storm warnings. My son called in a panic. I replied, "Son, I am 47 years old, one time in

my life a storm destroyed our property. I refuse to allow fear to grip my heart. God reigns even when it rains."

I refused to worry. I made a willful choice, I was going to trust God.

5. THE POWER OF AGREEMENT.

There was a young understudy being mentored by an older pastor. The young man followed the pastor day after day. The young man often would set in the corner and listen as the wise old man gave advice to families in crisis.

One day, a husband told his sad story to the elder pastor. The pastor listened intently. After a while the old pastor hugged the man and replied, "You are right!" The wife then came in the office and cried and wept before the old man of God. After she unloaded her burdens, the Pastor hugged her and said, "You’re right!" The couple left the church office hugging and went home so happy. The young understudy couldn’t understand. He inquired of the wise pastor, "But you told them they were both right." The mentor lowered his head and in wisdom said, "You’re right!" ... We can worry, or listen? (unknown)