(By Diego Cuartas)

Just this morning, I was fretting. While I was considering the different things that were in my day, I was feeling like I had little margin for anything else. It is in this context that I fretted because of some comments my wife made that I was interpreting as demands or expectations on her part. When I get to this point I'm recognizing that I am not as a loving in my responses to my wife. I offer short answers; I get frustrated and deep inside annoyed by the circumstances. I also think there is a belief going through my head regarding what I assess as unfair or unjust. An undercurrent line that says, "It is not fair that these things are being imposed on me at this moment!". And I find myself reacting to that.

So as I found a few minutes to slow down, before taking care of some lab work, I sensed God prompting me through His Spirit to read Psalm 23. This chapter is packed with with descriptions of who God is and what He is doing all the time--now and future. The following verbs or actions give me insight into who He is and what He is doing in every circumstance--including those when I am fretting:

He is my shepherd and addresses my needs
He is able to lead me to places of nourishment and rest
He leads and restores my soul
His guidance in my life is aligned with the pursuit of His good fame
He is present with me through correction and offers me comfort
He is my defender and bestower of blessings in my life to the point of satisfaction
He is committed to offer me goodness and mercy into my future days
And all this drama of life will end up with me and Him together living eternally--with this kind of Shepherd!

In light of these realities, I can ask myself the following questions in my moments of fretting--and use them to X-Ray my heart and hopefully realign my thoughts with Him and be able to live hopefully, in gratitude and loving others well:

Who do I believe is with me in this moment?
What do I think I am entitled to? And who do I believe is responsible for delivering that to me?
Who is in control of my present?
Who can seek my best "good" and actually secure it for me?
Where can I find true rest and peace?
What do I believe I have to be in this situation or what do I believe I must do to come out of it ok?
Who do I believe will secure justice for me?
If God is this good and gracious to me, how can I be good and gracious to others in this moment?

May God help us believe that we can live as people who have a Good Shepherd--who oversees and cares for us--rather than living life as an orphan who believes that life, good and justice depends on our own efforts. Fretting will turn into trusting!