Worries got you down?
Many times in our life we have the opportunity to worry. I know I sure have had them. I remember my mother telling me “not to worry it would all work out like it was supposed to”. That sure didn’t help me any. I still would worry about the situation. When the situation was all over my mother would say, “See you wasted a good worry.” I’m sorry to have to say mom was wrong. There is nothing good about worrying. It can cause you to have ulcers, and raise your blood pressure to name a few things. God never intended for us to worry. As a matter of fact he said we were to cast all of our cares (worries, fears, frets, anxiety, and concerns) over on him. (1 Peter 5:7)
I know the first time I heard someone talk about this I thought, “Well what am I supposed to do if I can’t worry? How do I change things if I can’t worry?” The first thing you need to do is realize that worrying never changed a thing. Worry is simply fear of the unknown. You don’t know what is going to happen and you want to try to control the situation. I’m sure we all can admit that we can’t control everything but we sure would like too! Worrying is wasted energy. Why not channel that same energy into something that is productive. What would that be? Prayer!
In Philippians 4:6-8 Paul gave us direction on how to quit worrying and put God to work on the situation. “Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” In simple terms pray to God with your specific request (supplication) and thank him for the answer. It could be as simple as saying “God I have a big meeting tomorrow and I need your help to get through it. I thank you for you help and your wisdom to answer any questions that arise out of this meeting. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen”
When you do this you are completing the requirements of verse 6 and then will receive the benefits of verse 7. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” When you pray about the situation and ask God to move in it then you will receive peace in your spirit and in your mind. You may think it can’t be that easy. Well it is and it isn’t. It is just that easy to get God moving on your situation. What isn’t easy is keeping that peace of God. Why? Because of our adversary who is always trying to get us to let go of the peace of God and to pick up that worry again. He does it by bringing thoughts about the situation to your mind. When he does we quite often start thinking on the situation and trying to figure it out in our heads and before we know it we are right back to worrying again. Don’t fret there is a way to avoid this!
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. If we want to keep the peace God gives us then we need to focus on what God’s word says about our situation and not what the enemy wants you to believe. The devil always sends thoughts of doom, gloom and defeat. God says he always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
This new way of handling worry isn’t easy at first but the more you do it the easier it gets. For sure this way is more productive than worry after all worrying has never changed a thing.