Recently I took in another dog under my roof. Like anybody who decides to bring home a new pet, there is an adjustment period. A new routine needs implementation. The pet needs to learn what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. A certain level of discipline is necessary. It also could be a stressful time for the pet. Overall, this is not an easy process. There can be stress,
impatience, and a sense that things will not get better. 

How often do we feel this way in life? I am sure we all have felt stressed at some point. I am sure we all have found ourselves losing patience. Have we ever been in such a place within ourselves that we lose hope? That there is no chance things could improve in our lives? This mindset could be a reality for a lot of people. Why is this the case? What leads people to discern their well-being in such a negative light? As Christians, how confident are we that God will provide for us? How much confidence do we have in Him that we know he will give us the strength we need to persevere? We should not be anxious in anything we do.

Let us look at the book of Matthew. Matthew 6:25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” 

Often when stress is prevalent, there can be anxiety. These verses from Matthew show why we should not be anxious about anything. When we are anxious, we do not add anything. Not even something as valuable as time.

In our life as Christians, we will go through uncertain times. We need to know that through Christ, we have what we need to overcome any obstacle we may face. Through Christ, we can have a sense that things will work out just fine. When we go through difficult times, we need to think of this as an opportunity to grow. It is an opportunity to take on new challenges and become who we need to become. Like bringing home a new puppy, it takes time to get where we need to be. The process is nothing more than some growing pains we go through.