PREPAYING THE PRICE Imagine hearing that a friend went to traffic court one day because he was so afraid of getting a traffic ticket some time in the future that he went to pay the fine in advance!
Now, I know this is absurd, but it is, in essence, no different from what many people do every night. Worried about what might happen tomorrow, some of you are "paying the price" in advance...with conflicting emotions and anxiety-ridden thoughts that set your stomach acids churning and your heart palpitating. The price you pay for worrying ahead of time is your health.
Why wage war with your troubles twice: once in your imagination and once when they arrive? Isn't one battle enough? Jesus says:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:25, 27, 34, NIV).
Remember the miraculous story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20? He could have worried himself sick about the coming battle, but he praised the Lord. When his army arrived for the fight, the enemy was already dead!
Don't lay there sleepless, paying the price for something that may never come. Surrender your fears to the Lord and rest easy. He may even go before you, and spare you the battle. If not, He'll equip you with everything you need to overcome when the moment arrives.