Faith

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6

When we ask God for something, do we really believe? Or do I doubt?

Want the blatant truth? If you are worried about your children, you are not believing God. If you worry about your spouse, you are not believing God. If you worry about your finances, you are not believing God. And if you worry, you will be blown and tossed like a wave in the wind. Not too comfortable, huh?

"But, I'm in charge of my kids! My husband is out in the world everyday where anything could happen! The numbers don't add up! It's my job to worry. It's my nature to worry. I can't help it."

I've heard these statements numerous times, but they are lies. We do not have to worry. As a matter of fact, worrying (and unfounded fear, which is generally the root of worry) is a sin. Why? Because it's unbelief. Worry means we don't trust God to work things out for the best. It means that if He allows something bad to happen, we don't believe He know better than we do.

I know we're not supposed to worry, because God's word tells us not to. He also tells us that "everything that does not come from faith is sin." {Romans 14:23}

So, how do we have faith about everything? How do we continually believe God to do best when there's so much out of our control.

First, we study, meditate on, and believe God's Word. Fill your mind with His promises. Replace your worry thoughts with scripture.

Second, we ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 says that God will give us wisdom, if we ask. We parent according to His guidelines and seek Him for what we dont' know. He may answer directly, or give us resources to help, but He will always answer.

Third, we make sure we're doing our job. I'm not going to worry about my children if they're in my fenced in back yard, but I'm not sending them to cruise around the neighborhood by themselves at their young ages. I'm not going to worry about their safety when they're at a friend's house whose parents I know well, but I'm not going to send them to a house sight unseen and parents unheard from. I'm going to place appropriate boundaries around them, and believe God to protect them from outside harm.

Fourth and Finally, we believe God. He is always faithful and promises never to leave us. If we seek Him, listen to Him, and obey Him He will hold us tightly in His hands. That doesn't mean that everything will be perfect or nothing bad will happen, but that He will be with us and carry us through anything that comes our way.