Forgetting (what lies behind) and Not Fretting in 2013

Considering I am no longer a spring chicken, I have spent a good portion of the first half of my life being a worry wart and filling my mind with "What if's..." Those "what if's" never got me anywhere, except maybe up to the drug store to buy more wrinkle cream! Last night, I was listening to a very wise woman, my friend who taught a ladies study when I was younger, Mrs. Judy Seligman. She talks about how the nature of women is to have "what if's" occupy our mind, filling them with anxiety. She suffered this herself many years ago, but quickly found the antidote in casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself agains the the knowledge of God.

I listened (or actually re-listened to a ladies study) last night while typing away at my keyboard.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=830122322570

This morning when I got up, anxious thoughts started to permeate my mind, taking away my peace. I thought to myself,

"Am I just going to keep on thinking the same old way, getting myself all worked up over nothing?" The thoughts kept on invading.

In her message, Judy gave a life saving truth that would help so many if only they could hear it. As Christians, the enemy shoots all kinds of thoughts in our heads. But we do NOT have to accept them. We can say no to them and not dwell on them. We have the power to refuse them and combat them with the Scriptures of Truth.
I said no to the thought and God by His grace took the anxiety and worry over the thing out of my mind. It was gone, not by striving, but by His grace.

The next minute, the very thing I had been worried about, getting an important phone call, came, without one minute's agitation or stewing or fretting.

This has taken me half of my life to turn. I am a S L O W learner. Thank God for His patience.

I love this Word from the book of Zechariah:

Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This [is] the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.

Zec 4:7 'Who [are] you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel [you shall become] a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "

It is not by any great attempt on my part, but by God's Spirit that I overcome the spirit of anxiety. Shout "Grace!" at the mountain that seems impossible.

Jesus says:

Mat 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble.

I guess He really means it!! I always had to overthink that verse. That verse just seemed too simple for me. No, if I would have just believed that verse, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache.

Well, the end of 2012 fast approaches. I have been taught a lot of wisdom. I don't want to let it slip away as the new year rolls on in. Happy New Year everyone! Here's to forgetting (what lies behind) not fretting in 2013!