Put Worry in its Place

Worry. . . what good is it?  I think we can all agree that it is a waste of time and energy.  And what about its negative side affects?  Worry causes extreme distress to all parts of our bodies, as well as light-headedness, elevated blood pressure and stomach upset.  It prevents us from sleeping, and it impacts our relationships.  Pure and simple it’s a destructive emotion.  One definition of worry is to torment oneself with cares and anxieties.  No wonder it’s so destructive!  Plus, we know worry won’t prevent things from happening.  And have you noticed that the majority of the time, the things we worry about never happen?

So why is worry our go-to response?  One reason is because we have established this bad habit in the face of adversity.  In the midst of the unknown, the uncontrollable, we choose to worry.  And ultimately, we are unwilling to trust God.  The worry then negates our faith.  It erodes our ability to put our trust in our heavenly Father.  

If we are honest, we admit that we just don’t know if God will do what we want Him to do.  We may not be in control of what happens, but we can control the choices we make.  And choosing to trust God is a much better, healthier, soul-satisfying place to be.  Isaiah 40:28-31 says that God gives power to the weak and renews our strength.  So even though we feel weakened from worrying, God promises that if we trust Him, we will find new strength to free ourselves from the destructive worry pattern.   So confess it out loud!  “Because I trust You, Lord, I am strong in the face of adversity, and I will not worry!”

At this point in time, we may have legitimate concerns about circumstances in our lives, financial concerns due to lack of employment, health concerns, or relationship difficulties.  But Philippians 4:19 says that God will provide all of our needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus.  And Romans 8:28 is a promise from the Lord that He will bring good out of every situation in our lives.  So confess it out loud!  Speak out His promises instead of your worries!   

It’s time to flip the switch!  It’s time to replace worry with trust.  Why not stand in God’s Word instead of our worry?  Isaiah 26:3 promises that God will keep us in perfect peace if we keep our mind fixed on Him.  In I Peter 5:7 God calls us to cast our worries and cares on Him because He cares for us.  Keep in mind that if you’ve cast your care on Him, then you don’t have it.  If you still have it, then God doesn’t.  You both can’t have it.   Plus, we were never meant to carry the weight of our circumstances.  Matthew 11:28-30 is a plea from Jesus himself to give Him our burdens.  Again, we were never meant to carry them.  That’s His job!  

So make the choice to trust Him instead of worry.  It’s a daily, sometimes moment by moment decision.  Decide to make trusting Him a habit.  Change the dialogue in your head, heart, and mouth to thankfulness, praise, and confessions of trust.  Stand firm in His Word, in His promises.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Hebrews 10:23 says that He who has promised is faithful.  And Lamentations 3:22-23 says that because of God’s great love we are NOT consumed, His compassions NEVER fail, they are new EVERY morning, and great is His faithfulness!  So put your weary heart and soul at rest.  Trust Him, believe His promises, then rest and receive what is yours as His child.