Will Putting God First Help My Anxiety?

Bible, Women & Bathrobes, Episode 37

Sermon on the Mount, part 19

Summary

Tamara and Bridget discuss Matthew 6:25-34, about coping with life's challenges through faith, sharing personal experiences and biblical insights. Tamara shares her struggle with anxiety and how Jesus' teachings bring her comfort, while Bridget provides an in-depth study on verses highlighting the importance of shifting focus from earthly concerns to spiritual growth and faith in God's providence. Later, Tamara and an unknown speaker discuss their personal struggles with doubts and fears in their faith, emphasizing the importance of taking worries to God through prayer and prioritizing their relationship with Him. The speakers emphasize the need to prioritize God in daily life, keep Him at the forefront, and invite Him into every aspect of life, even when faced with stress and uncertainty.

Main Takeaways

• From Bridgit, “[God] created us for a relationship and when that relationship is lacking, we feel empty. And we often turn towards things to fill that emptiness when it's only Christ that can do that.”
• From Tamara, “Think about today. Focus with God on what you can do today. Don't spin with the what ifs. Just trust that God will have tomorrow taken care of. You know, you can ask him what can I do to prepare? Trust that he has tomorrow taken care of and because he helped you through today, he will help you through tomorrow, one day at a time.”

Today’s Podcast Hosts & Guests

Tamara K. Anderson

Tamara, founder of Women Warriors of Light, is a dynamic speaker, award winning author, and a podcaster. She is driven by her Christian faith to inspire faith in Jesus Christ. Alongside her husband, Justin, she navigates the joys and challenges of parenting four children with autism, ADHD, and mental health hurdles. You can find out more about Tamara on her website: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/

Bridgit Patterson

Bridgit Patterson's journey embodies the values of faith, family and serving others. Her career in electroneurodiagnostics, was inspired by her son's epilepsy diagnosis, leading her to become the program director for the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas. Bridgit is deeply passionate about serving and praying for others, discussing her children and sharing her faith. For over 15 years she led the women's ministry in her former church before moving to care for her parents. Bridgit's dedication, commitment and love have earned her the title of 2024 Missouri Mother of the year, and honor she cherishes deeply because she was nominated by her daughter.

Transcript

If you’d like to read the transcript of today’s episode, you can find it on our Women Warriors of Light website blog. Link in the bio.

Tamara Anderson  0:00 

Does God notice us in our anxieties as we run around sometimes like chickens with our head cut off here on Earth? We're here to talk about some amazing verses that have brought some clarity to this in the Sermon on the Mount, so stay tuned.

Tamara Anderson  0:20 

Welcome to Bible, Women & Bathrobes, the podcast where faith meets comfort. Join us Tuesday and Thursday morning. As the gals from Women Warriors of Light and their guests, don bathrobes and dive into the inspiring stories of women in the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. From Esther's bravery to the Sermon on the Mount. We explore it all with warmth, laughter, sisterhood, and maybe even a few sleepy eyed moments. tune in live or at your leisure as we learn lessons from scripture which empower women today.

Tamara Anderson  1:01 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Bible, Women & Bathrobes. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson. And joining me today is a good friend Bridgit Patterson. Bridgit, thanks for being here today.

Bridgit Patterson  1:15 

Thanks for the invite.

Tamara Anderson  1:17 

And I'm so excited to have Bridgit here. I met her at the American Mother's convention in Omaha just earlier this year and we just hit it off and I am just thrilled that we get to reconnect on Zoom and and talk to you guys about this, these cool verses from the Sermon on the Mount. But let me introduce you officially to her. I can read her bio to you so you know a little bit about who she is. So Bridgit Patterson's journey embodies the values of faith, family and serving others. Her career in electroneurodiagnostics, was inspired by her son's epilepsy diagnosis, leading her to become the program director for the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas. Bridgit is deeply passionate about serving and praying for others, discussing her children and sharing her faith. For over 15 years she led the women's ministry in her former church before moving to care for her parents. Bridgit's dedication, commitment and love have earned her the title of 2024 Missouri Mother of the year, and honor she cherishes deeply because she was nominated by her daughter. Thanks for being with us, again Bridgit!

Bridgit Patterson  2:29 

Oh, I love it.

Tamara Anderson  2:31 

All right, guys, we are continuing our journey through the Sermon on the Mount in the teachings of Jesus Christ. And today we are covering probably more verses that we have in the past. But because there are such a similar theme in these verses so we're covering Matthew chapter six, verses 25 through 34. And I'm really excited to dive into these verses. The last two weeks we I think we've kind of been building towards these about the focusing on the importance of perspective and serving one master and all that stuff.

Tamara Anderson  3:10 

So today, we're going to kick it off with verse 25. And I'm going to summarize some of these, but then I'm going to turn it over to Bridgit because she did an in depth study on these a couple months ago, a month ago, I can't remember. And I'm gonna let her summarize. But basically, in these verses Jesus is talking about, don't worry about, Take no thought for your life, what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, about your body, those kinds of things.

Tamara Anderson  3:40 

And you'll see that repeated over and over again about the fowls in the air, don't they? Doesn't God take care of them? And can you add some cubit to your statute? Can you can you make yourself grow by thinking about it? The answer is well, no. And then he goes on and there's this beautiful verse "consider the lilies of the field as they grow and toil not, neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." And so he's kind of teaching us that some of the things that we just constantly worry about and have anxiety about.

Tamara Anderson  4:20 

And I'm going to start off and I know Bridgit and I were talking about this before we launched started recording was sometimes I struggle with anxiety and and so some of these things, weigh heavy on my mind. And so we're going to talk about how that plays in to all of this Bible discussion today. All right, Bridgit, why don't you kick it up, kick us off and and share some of your observations on those verses.

Bridgit Patterson  4:46 

You know, I struggle with anxiety and I'm not an outward worrier, so to speak, like you don't see it, necessarily in my life. I pulled it in, and I do all this inward worrying about things. And just, you know, just breaking this down, like even looking up, what the word worry how its translated in, in the, in the New Testament in the Greek, and then how it breaks into two smaller words, which really means "a divided mind," right, like having two thoughts about the same thing.

Bridgit Patterson  5:29 

And what we generally worry about are things in the future, like, can we control the future, like is that even anything that we can do anything about the future. And then the past is the past. So you've got those legitimate, genuine, true thoughts being pulled away with with just falsehood, or what ifs or all these things. In even in my, even in my trainings that I do across my entire region,  You know, one of my slides says, you know, we don't let epilepsy control us, we don't live by, you know, what ifs. But do we live by what ifs? And sometimes those what ifs can grip us in a way that just it's not healthy.

Tamara Anderson  6:22 

Well, it's true. And, and because Bridgit and I both have children with disabilities, we probably approach this from a similar vein and in in some regard. But I remember when, when my son Nathan was first diagnosed with autism, and shortly thereafter, Jacob, I remember taking where I was with him and his life at age four, at the time, and projecting that same ness of where he was in his life into the future 20, 30, 40 years. And it caused me such stress and anxiety doing that, that I was just like, I can't I can't live this way for the rest of my life!

Tamara Anderson  7:05 

And if you pause and think that's not even logical for any of us, because we all change. And he has grown and evolved and what he was when he was four is not where he is now that he's 25. You know, he is completely different. He's gained some skills, not as many as I'd like, in some areas, but he's grown and he's matured and changed and, and the things that I was worrying about--You know, if I was worrying for nothing. I know my dad has a saying, Why worry when you can pray?

Bridgit Patterson  7:42 

That's good.

Tamara Anderson  7:44 

I know, right? And I can so often if I start going down that anxiety spiral, I almost have to like, take a breath, breathe, give it to God, which is sometimes easier said than done, when your thoughts just are spiraling out of control. And I and I think the adversary also knows when our thoughts are spiral down, and he just, it's like, he throws everything at you, but the kitchen sink while you're spiraling, and so then it's not just you, it's also the adversary saying, oh, yeah, yeah, you should totally worry about that. Oh, it's gonna be terrible. Yeah. Oh, it's gonna happen. Yes. So it's tough, right?

Bridgit Patterson  8:34 

It is tough. It is tough. And you know, these verses that we're talking about, like in Matthew 26, and it talks about like, the worry, I mean, those verses talk about how worry is so inconsistent. And the theme on this, it kind of, you know, it kind of switches it goes from the greater to the lesser, and then then the next verse and 26, it goes from the lesser to the greater. And so in 25, it's going you know, "therefore, do not worry about your life," like your life is so much greater than the lesser, which is all those things that we can worry about, like, what are we going to wear? What are we going to eat? How are we going to fight you know, what shelter are we going to have If this storm comes through? Is it going to blow my roof off? And I'm one of those think ahead. I waste so much time thinking through the what ifs? You know, if my, if my roof blows off, what is my next step? How am I going to get it tarped? How am I going to get up there? I don't have a ladder. So this you know, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da da?

Bridgit Patterson  9:39 

How much time just wasted. And then I didn't even have a stick to pick up after the storm. Like it missed me completely, you know? So those kinds of things. We can get really wrapped up in sometimes and it's just it's sometimes it's just a thought, right? It's just, it's just a couple of minutes. I have this Boombah Boombah, boom. And I think when we have, the least for me with a son with disabilities, you often have to think through those things. And worrying and being anxious about things is completely different than planning and being concerned.

Bridgit Patterson  10:19 

Right, we need to plan June's planned, he planned for all kinds of things. He was also concerned about all kinds of things. So planning and concerning being concerned are completely different than worry and anxiety. And if you keep those separate, you know, the what ifs versus the planning. And with kids with disabilities. I mean, you got to plan and you have to be concerned about this, that or the other and oftentimes intercept something that's going to be harmful to them. If we ignored that we'd be horrible parents.

Tamara Anderson  10:53 

Yeah. Yeah. So what do you think, is the key? I've kind of been thinking, as you've been saying that between the worry and the preparation? Do you think it's, it's, it's that communication with God? Do you think that is what makes the big difference between the two? Because if you're communicating with God, he can calm your anxiety? And maybe inspire you? Yeah, you can do that to prepare. You know, or what are your thoughts?

Bridgit Patterson  11:25 

Yeah, I think when concern in the planning, when it goes beyond, and it goes to a what if, you know, you can concern and plan and often intercept if necessary. Or you can plan and be concerned, and then let your mind go a gazillion other places. And I think that's when it's like, Okay, Lord, you know, I don't, I don't necessarily. Like God gave me a head on my shoulders, right? And to use it. So I'm not necessarily like, Are you sure I need to pack the socks for his trip to wherever? You know what I mean. Like, I know that that's something that I need to do. But for me to go, Well, do I need to put an extra set? Because what if he, whatever, whatever, whatever, you know, like, that's crazy.

Bridgit Patterson  12:19 

So, that's the difference for me, is how, where do you run? Like, where does your mind take you? After? And if it's taking you into those places, where it's inconsistent or irrational, then Lord, like, I know, those are triggers. Right? Those are that if it becomes irrational and makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. Like, if my concern has gone to that level, then I know I'm anxious. And then I need to say, "God, I need you in this moment. Like, like helped me in my unbelief. This is crazy that I'm even thinking this way. And calm that anxious spirit within me."

Tamara Anderson  13:07 

Yeah, I think I think you've hit upon it right there. That it's, it's when we it's almost like it's one we click into that fight or flight mode, which it can be super useful if you truly are in a panic situation. But oftentimes, our anxiety will trigger us into that. And if we're in that, just pausing and taking steps that help you kind of center yourself on God and say, Okay, I am doing it again, Lord. Going down my rabbit hole.

Bridgit Patterson  13:41 

You know, and as you were saying, I was thinking, like, I'm not the one that paces back and forth. But I'm a nervous eater. You know, and I find my like, that's like, when I noticed that I've gone to the refrigerator, like I have sometimes stood in front of the frigerator with the door open going, what are you doing here? Like, what are you doing here? I may grab, like three grapes, and then come back to where I am, you know, and then I bet grabbing three more grapes or whatever. Used to be those little bite sized Snickers but you know, you got to get to get those out of the house. But often times I like, you know, and people don't think of that necessarily as Oh, you're anxious or you're nervous. But I know for me, that that's what I can find myself doing. I'm not going to have a panic attack. I'm not going to, you know, like, just pace around or like just become where I can't, you know, move or, you know, paralyzed so to speak, that I may eat.

Tamara Anderson  14:47 

So maybe it is recognizing what your triggers are. And having a plan in place if you hit them. You know, and pray about it. Pray about it. Say God, what are what are my triggers when I am when I'm not, when I'm out of balance here. When I'm not having enough faith to trust you with my walk, you know. Because I think having some sort of plan, okay, when I hit this point, when I'm opening the fridge 20 times in 30 minutes, you know-- okay, were there.

Bridgit Patterson  15:22 

I'm out of Grapes,

Tamara Anderson  15:24 

you know, you know, for me reading is always been my escape and it's a calming thing for me. And so often I will notice that I'm feeling a lot of stress or anxiety if I'm escaping into books. And so that's when I know. And, and, and there is a reasonable amount of time for Tamara to escape into a book and setting a timer, versus I'm going to disappear for the next five hours, goodbye.

Tamara Anderson  15:56 

So inviting God in and having him help us through it. I think I think that's probably what He's inviting us here is, is to look at how he takes care. I'm looking at a window right now and looking at these beautiful trees and a blue sky. And I went on a walk this morning with my son and I saw a little sparrow and it reminded me of you know, Jesus talking about knowing the sparrows and how aren't we greater than sparrows? You know, aren't we greater than the lilies of the field? We're his crowning creation. And yet we we worry enough that sometimes I think our worry, supersedes our faith.

Tamara Anderson  16:39 

And I know you and I were talking about that yesterday when we were talking. So let's read that verse 30, because that's where that faith bit comes in. And it kind of pricks a little bit, don't you think?

Bridgit Patterson  16:53 

It certainly can.

Tamara Anderson  16:56 

I know, right? Wherefore if God so clothe, the grass of the field, which is today and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, Oh, ye of little faith." So he's saying, hey, quit trying to worry about things that-- I got this, you know, it's like he's up there saying, I got this. Yeah, have faith. I don't know what are your thoughts Bridgit?

Bridgit Patterson  17:22 

I, I'm so totally with you. I mean, why would God create us? Only to lead us? Why would he create? Why would he beyond creation? Why would he suffer and die for us? If his plan was to neglect us, for the simple things that are so easy for him that we stress and have anxiety. And what I love, love, love about these scriptures Is he provides the way. right? He provides the answer to these things.

Bridgit Patterson  18:06 

And when he says, "Oh, you have little faith," you know, that points to unbelief. And unbelief, like, that's big. Like, that's huge. And we don't often look at it, in that fashion in unbelief. You know, oh, Lord, help me in my unbelief. Take me back to the grass. You know, why in the world would I think you're not going to provide for this need or that need, or my family, or my finances or whatever, whatever. When you created all these things. Like, you know, every hair on my head, you know, every stroke that sparrow's wing takes. You know, when even a little one falls from the sky. Like, you know, all of those things, why would, And that's why it's so irrational to think that he can't.

Tamara Anderson  19:09 

Yeah, absolutely. I there's so much more to faith than I think I ever imagined when I learned about faith, it's a child. Do you know?

Bridgit Patterson  19:23 

Oh,

Tamara Anderson  19:24 

yeah, the older I get. And the more I learn about God, the more I realize there are layers and layers and layers to faith that I never could have imagined when I was younger. That it is trusting that the way, the path you're on that everything's going to work out, maybe not how you had hoped. And that was one of my lessons on learning true faith was that. I was begging the He would heal my boys. And then realizing that true faith is saying whether you heal my boys or not, I'm still going to believe. I'm still going to trust that the path that I'm on is the right path. And that you'll help me get through it somehow. Because it's easy to say, I believe when things are good. But when things are hard, when you're dealing with perhaps your son's seizure, and you're like, Oh, my word, what what's going on? How am I going to help? What am I going to do? Those are tough moments, right?

Bridgit Patterson  20:33 

Yeah, they are tough moments. They are were or talking to a family who their child is dealing with a brain tumor. You know, I mean, those are big things. And as I dug deeper in help me in my unbelief, and what that meant, in the time, you know, you know. He was talking, you know, back, back then it was the Jews and the Gentiles, right? God's chosen people, and those unbelievers. And in some, in some places, it's even translated into pagans. And so when I had to turn that around to my own life, when I am having those moments of unbelief, I'm just like a pagan, who is relying on on Gods of stone or wood, or in our day, material things, right? My career, my whatever, whatever, whatever, you know, to, to calm me, to give me peace, and that is never going to happen. Never. Is that going to happen? It is only God, it is only Christ, that can give us that peace that surpasses all understanding. And to have that double mind of pulling one way and pulling the other and You know, it's just, it's why it makes it so irrational and illogical. And all those words. Yeah. But he provides a way.

Tamara Anderson  22:21 

Don't you think it's part of the challenges of faith, though, is is learning to navigate when those tough times hit? And when you're second guessing yourself?

Bridgit Patterson  22:34 

Yeah, absolutely.

Tamara Anderson  22:35 

Trying to be brave when you've maybe never been through something like this before. And you're like, Well, can I trust God with this? And then you almost I think remembering back to things that he's helped you through before that helps me. Yeah.

Bridgit Patterson  22:52 

Because we all get that doubt. Right. I know you. I know you can provide, but will you?

Tamara Anderson  22:58 

Yeah, yeah. Well, and, and so I have to go back and remind myself, and I think that's good. It's good thing that I've written a journal sporadically throughout my life, because sometimes I go back and read experiences that I've completely forgotten. And I'm like, My word, God totally showed up for me in this circumstance, and I completely forgotten about it. But remembering those stories and hearing other people's stories of faith, gives me courage as well, don't you think?

Bridgit Patterson  23:32 

Yes. Oh, most definitely. You know, just having that history of His faithfulness, like you saw me through this mess. So therefore, I know, you can see me through this one. You know, or having an even when we have that little bit of doubt-- we all worry, right? We would be crazy to say that we don't, but we don't have to live there. Right. We don't have to live there. It can just be something that we pass through. And we sat on it for half a second, but we don't live there. We move past it.

Tamara Anderson  24:10 

Yeah. Yeah. You are so right. It's it's how long we allow ourselves to dwell on that worry, that that can either send us spiraling or send us more towards faith, you know. All right. Well, I think Bridgit, it's time for us to hit the pinnacle of this chapter that we've been building towards for many, many verses, would you mind reading 32 and 33?

Bridgit Patterson  24:38 

"For all these things, the Gentiles eagerly seek for your heavenly Father knows that you all need these things. But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

Tamara Anderson  24:56 

And that's the key. Right

Bridgit Patterson  24:59 

Keep priorities straight.

Tamara Anderson  25:02 

Put God first. And everything else falls into place.

Bridgit Patterson  25:05 

Yeah. Yeah. Seek the things of God first. You know that righteous living, you know, it's a process like you don't snap your fingers and boom. Oh I've got this whole thing down.

Tamara Anderson  25:20 

Ah, so true. You know, this first I stumbled upon this verse and I can remember the first time I did well, maybe it wasn't the first time but I think it was the first time it jumped out at me. And I was a teenager at the time. And I was in high school and I was taking algebra, which was a struggle for me, it did not come naturally. And I remember coming across this verse reading my scriptures one night and being a cocky teenagers, I'm like, so if I put God first he's going to help everything else.

Tamara Anderson  25:56 

And I was like, I said, Okay, God, I'm gonna put this to the test. You're gonna have to forgive me, because that's how I was. And I'm like, I'm gonna read my scriptures every day, before I do my Algebra homework, and we're gonna see if it works. I'm sure God's up there just shaking his head like, okay, whatever to me. And, you know, what was interesting is I did that every day before I did my Algebra homework, I read my scriptures just a little bit. And then I would do my Algebra homework again, I'll be darned if at the end of that next quarter, my grade wasn't a whole letter grade higher.

Tamara Anderson  26:34 

And oh, and I remember as a teenager, like I was, I was shocked. I was surprised. I was like, Wait, is this actually--this is a true principle. Which, you know, as an adult, that I look back and go, Well, of course, you know. But it's interesting that I had to learn it was something so simple, but that lesson has replayed in my mind and in my heart so many times, well, if he helped me with algebra, what about, you know, going through college now? And what about, you know, I'm trying to launch a write a book and start a podcast and all these things, if I put God first as you're gonna help me figure this out, help me get past my fear that feels like it's holding me back and drowning me, you know.

Tamara Anderson  27:24 

And I've been able to go back and really say, this has worked. This has worked. This has helped me through everything. I'm just putting God first. And, you know, praying and doing doing my scripture study, some, when my kids were little, sometimes it was just a couple of verses when I could grab them. But I prioritized him. And I'm not saying that I didn't go through hard things, because I did. But he helped me through.

Tamara Anderson  27:57 

I've had people say, How did you get through when your kids were little? You know, I have no idea. But really, isn't it? But this is it. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me became my mantra. Like, I can't do it because I'm too weak, but I can lean on him. And and yoking myself to Jesus really became what pulled me through time after time, after time. Moving with kids with on the autism spectrum who hate change, you know, and we've done it several times. Just I could cite hundreds of examples where this pulled me through. Yeah, any thoughts Bridgit?

Bridgit Patterson  28:36 

Yeah, I do think you have to have that you have to have a strategy in place. You know, for me, I have numerous little things sitting around to remind me of God's faithfulness. And, for me, when it says, Seek ye first, that means seek that first seek these resources of God's word that he's put in front of me, and don't first go to the refrigerator, to the wherever that I might get calling a friend, you know. Seek God first. You know, that's what he says is the solution to this. Number one, know him, you know, for for folks that are out there that are listening that don't know Christ as Savior and Lord, that's the first step. Know him accept Him and believe Him as your Savior and Lord and then seek him first. Make him that priority. And I wish that you and I would have known each other back in high school, and I would have done that in algebra class.

Tamara Anderson  29:47 

Oh my gosh, right. We could have gotten better together.

Bridgit Patterson  29:52 

I was not thinking along those lines in algebra class. But you know, and I think too, we can. I grew up in a Christian home with a, an amazing Christian heritage, on my mom's side of the family. And, you know, all of I mean, ministers and song leaders and Sunday school teachers and piano players and organ players and missionaries and international missionaries, and all the things. And we can say, all the right words, right, we can say, I believe Jesus is my Savior. And but it's a true relationship. And do you really believe or is it just lip service? You know, it's it's where the rubber hits the road sometimes that you really have to dig in, when specially that unbelief part, you know, you might not have to apply all that until He said that in whisper.

Tamara Anderson  31:04 

Yeah, yeah. Ah, Bridgit, this is so good. That is so good. And I was going to ask you what little things do you have to remind you to look to Jesus, that you are pointing to things around your house?

Bridgit Patterson  31:18 

Oh, I have just, you know, keep God first I've got a vase sitting over there a pottery thing that says Keep God first. I have just got a board, "Very thankful. So grateful, truly blessed." You know, the Bible code books up there. I've got, you know, Scripture everywhere. Just just things I don't know, I just love to study. And I just keep I just try to keep those things always in front of me.

Tamara Anderson  31:55 

I love that. And that's, that's actually a really good tip. Because sometimes when we are stressed, and we look around, it's good to have our eyes fall on something that reminds us to put God first.

Bridgit Patterson  32:06 

Yeah,

Tamara Anderson  32:06 

well, maybe maybe that's an invitation for all of us to make sure that there's something up somewhere in our vision, especially where we are when we're, you know, we're when we're stressed maybe around the kitchen, maybe on the refrigerator door,

Bridgit Patterson  32:18 

Bathroom mirror, the minute you wake up, you know, you can't, you can't stay in yesterday's stuff. And you can't go so far forward, that you're creating a mess for tomorrow. You got to live in the present. And I've not always been good at that. And there are days that I'm still not good at it. But that being strategic to keep God first and ever at the forefront of your mind, for me is paramount.

Tamara Anderson  32:51 

Yeah, I think I think you've hit it on the head there. Just those reminders. And just, it's it's almost like you always have to be diligent about remembering that one principle, right? Yeah, it back to the Old Testament. And that first great commandment, you know, don't have any other gods before me. Yeah, this is this is your first priority. And when we do that, everything does work out in the end, it may not feel like it for some mucky in the middle moments. But those are usually moments when we're growing. And God is stretching us a little bit, you know what I mean?

Bridgit Patterson  33:32 

Because if we get lost in those moments of those things that we put first those little-g gods, and they can be good things, right? That can be your kids that can be our, our service in church that can be baking a casserole for the neighbor, or it can be materialistic things. It could be money, pride, like all of the things that can be good things. But still just just keeping him first in your life. God's in control.

Bridgit Patterson  34:07 

And I've often had to like say that you're in control, you're in control, you're in control this thing, like I'm not going to worry about it and keeping you first, like you know, going back to "don't be anxious for for, you know, Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." And sometimes you can't utter the words. But you know, He knows your heart. And Jesus sets at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. And even if there are grumblings, he knows. He knows. And he wants that from us. And sometimes he stretches out, you know, to build that faith, like you said, to get us to come to Him. Because He wants He created us for a relationship and when that relationship is lacking, we feel empty. And we often turn towards things to fill that emptiness when it's only Christ that can do that.

Tamara Anderson  35:11 

I love that only Christ that can fill that emptiness and it's true. It's true. Put him first. And I'm just going to conclude with, I think everything ties up and 33 and 34. Here. "Take no thought for the morrow." We've been talking about how sometimes we worry about things in the future "for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." So worry, think about today. Focus with God on what you can do today. Don't spin with the what ifs. Just trust that God will have tomorrow taken care of. You know, you can ask him what can I do to prepare? Don't cycle in the what ifs? Because I know that's been one of my failings. Trust that he has tomorrow taken care of and and because he helped you through today, he will help you through tomorrow, one day at a time. Right?

Bridgit Patterson  36:06 

Right. He gives us strength every day. And and the disclaimer, his his mercies are new every single morning. Like, like, yay. I know when I was going through the cancer journey with my mom, you know, that was one thing that I often said, you know, God's mercies are new every single morning and I'm claiming them. Because life's hard.

Tamara Anderson  36:34 

Oh, yeah. Yeah,

Bridgit Patterson  36:35 

and life can be sad. But when there's hope for tomorrow and and and eternal life with with Jesus it it just all softens.

Tamara Anderson  36:47 

It does. It does. He's got it. He's got it all. Yeah. Oh, Bridgit, this has been so inspiring to sit and talk to you about these things. It gives me hope that you know where I am now. I can improve a little bit and God's got mercy for me to get through today. And then tomorrow.

Bridgit Patterson  37:06 

Right?

Tamara Anderson  37:06 

Gotta my focus on him, right. Yeah. Well, these are great takeaways. Thank you so much for coming on today and for dissecting these verses with me and really finding the meat of the subject which is having faith complete faith and trust in God no matter what.

Tamara Anderson  37:29 

Thanks for tuning in to Bible, Women & Bathrobes hosted by Women Warriors of Light. We've loved exploring the stories of remarkable women are the teachings of the Savior God with you. If today's episode brought someone special to mind, be sure to spread the word. And don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss a moment of inspiration and sisterhood. Just a friendly reminder, all opinions we share are entirely personal as we are trying to decipher and apply Bible teachings just like you are. Until next time, stay faithful. And may Your journey be blessed and illuminated by God's love.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai