Roller Coaster

This week of Vacation Bible School has had an emphasis on roller coasters. The theme is Colossal Coaster World, and we were able to have roller coaster tracks going across our stage.

All this talk about roller coasters made me think about how they can be a microcosm of life. Sometimes we are upside down. Humans are meant to stand on our feet, and when we go upside down on a roller coaster it is a foreign feeling to us.

We go through times in life where we feel upside down—when nothing makes sense and we feel disoriented.

But there are also parts of the ride where everything is downhill. After hitting a high point the roller coaster begins to accelerate back down, causing a major rush.

Life is full of ups and downs. After being upside down for a while we end up going downhill again and life calms down.

But the thing about roller coasters that stands out to me the most is the unknown. My favorite ride was always Space Mountain at Disney. This is such a fun ride because it is totally dark and no one can see what is going to happen next. There is nothing to do except hold on and enjoy the ride.

And that is the best way to live life. We don’t know what is up ahead, but instead of being afraid of it, we can hold on and trust God. On a roller coaster nothing happens that wasn’t thought out by the designer, and in life nothing happens that wasn’t planned by our Designer.

So instead of spending (or wasting) your life being afraid, just hold on and trust God. Remember, that fear didn’t come from God, but from our enemy. Let me leave you with our VBS theme verse, 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Anxiety

The word anxious is often used the wrong way. People will frequently say they are anxious when they are looking forward to something:

“I’m really anxious about getting my income tax return!”

What they really mean is that they are eager (unless, like me, you were worried that you would owe more to the government). Anxious actually means the opposite of eager. Like when people say, “I could care less” instead of, “I couldn’t care less,” they are saying the opposite of what they mean.

To be anxious means to have anxiety; the dictionary defines it this way: “full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried.”

Quite the opposite of eagerness, anxiousness is not something we like. Unfortunately, it is also something many people deal with on a daily basis.

An anxious mind is like a weight that drags us down, causing us exhaustion and robbing us of joy. But our Creator did not intend for us to live life this way. Most things we worry and fear about never come to pass, and even if they do, wait until then to deal with it. Don’t worry yourself sick.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” If someone you know is being weighed down by anxiety, search for a good word to make them glad.

A compliment can complement what God has already spoken. Remind them they are loved by God, that He demonstrated His love for them on the cross, and that if they are His followers they have heaven to look forward to. Their sins have been forgiven and there is now no condemnation for them. They are invited into a relationship with the King of the Universe, they are adopted as His child, and the good work that He began in them will be completed. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, never leaving or forsaking those who live for Him.

In addition to the theological truths, looks for a kind word to say to someone today. Even the smallest of positive remarks can lift the heaviest burdens. Come along side those with anxious hearts and bear their care; a simple word can ease their load, straighten their back, and give them peace of mind—a peace that passes all understanding and makes hearts glad.