The psalmist’s refrain this morning is repeated several times: “Fret not yourself.”

As the Education for Ministry (EfM) curriculum suggests in its chapter on John, “ears that are biblically educated” will hear the resonance between the psalmist’s urging and the angels’ message in the Gospels.

“Be not afraid,” the angels always say. Be not afraid, do not fret.

What if you could live without fretting? What if you could let go of slights and grudges? What if you didn’t have to react to every second of the 24-hour news cycle?

This is not about retreating from the world. It’s about defining your circle of influence (which may be much bigger than you think) and then letting God and God’s other people care for their circles.

The psalmist acknowledges that he’s living in troubled times — the times are always troubled. Nevertheless, he trusts that God is in control.

Let those with ears to hear, listen. Fret not yourself.