fbpx

What do you worry about?

By

As women, we worry.  We worry more than men.  We worry about…well…..almost everything.  We worry about how the house looks.  We worry about money.  We worry about our kids, our husbands, our bodies.   You know, we even pride ourselves on how we worry about other people.  Somewhere along our life’s journey, we have learned that worrying about a friend means you care about that friend.  We say, “Oh!  I have been so worried about you”.  And this makes us feel BETTER about ourselves?  When did we start believing these lies??

I am a high energy person and I think that makes me prone to worry.  I wonder if you are prone to worry too?  When we worry, people try to help.  They mean well.  They say, “Oh Joy….don’t worry”.   THAT DOES NOT HELP!  I have found there are almost no words a person can say to you to make you stop worrying.  People are so kind and they try to be helpful, but when you are dealing with a Type A Worrier, their only hope is Jesus.

Worrying is bad, but it is normal.  We feel scared from time to time.  We are unsure what the future holds and there are times that real fear sets in.  And let’s face it, sometimes big time, serious life circumstances invade our lives and we worry.  As a follower of Christ, we are not supposed to worry.  I know this and you know this.  God’s Word is very clear.  The issue for me is that I do not have a worry on/off switch.  I cannot turn off my worry switch so I can clear my mind before I go to bed.   The real issue for us is not that we do not understand that worry is bad.  We know worry is bad.  Our real issue is that we do not know HOW to stop worrying.  Oh, if only we had a worry switch that we could turn off…

on-off-switch

Over the years, God has taught me so much about overcoming worry and anxiety.  He has taught me some things about myself that I do not like.  He has shown me that my biggest issue with worry and anxiety is that I do not trust Him enough.  Whatever I worry about….well….that is the very thing I do not trust God with.  I can say with my lips that I trust Him, but if I worry over it, you can be sure I am not fully trusting God with it!  What lives deep within our hearts, makes itself known in the life of our minds.  When it all boils down to it, my worry stems from the area(s) of my life that I have not surrendered to God.  Why have I not surrendered those things to God?  Because surrender requires trust.  Sometimes I am afraid that the will of God may not match up with my desires.  Have you ever felt this way?  My friend, when we give our lives over to Jesus, it requires daily surrender.  It is a struggle, but if we are going to follow after Him, we must die to ourselves and surrender to Him—-FULLY!

This past week I began teaching my newest Bible study, “The Worrywart!”.  This study requires me to be as transparent as I have ever been in a teaching setting.  As we combed through God’s Word on the topic of worry and anxiety, God had a specific word for me.  He reminded me, once again, that trouble will come to all of us.  None of us get a free pass from pain in life.  The longer we live, the more heartache we experience.  He reminded me that my only hope is in Him.  He is my hope!   Because of Him, I have nothing to fear.  This week He spoke to me through Psalm 112:7 in a new and fresh way.  The Psalmist says…  

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Do you ever fear bad news?  What will the results of my mammogram be this time?  How will my child do on their test this week?  What type of evaluation will I receive from my boss?  God tells us that when our hearts are grounded steadfastly in Him, we will not fear any bad news that comes our way.  Instead of worry and anxiety, our hearts are full of trust.  We trust that He knows what He is doing.  We trust that He really is working all things together for our good and His glory.  We trust that He has a plan and His plan is the best plan.  I desire to trust Him that way.  What about you?   

If you are worried or anxious about a life circumstance, I encourage you to ask God to help you trust Him more.  What I mean is that you need to get into your closet, all alone, and cry out to Him about what is troubling you.   The antidote for worry and anxiety is trusting God.  When we genuinely trust Him with our hearts (and not just with our lips), our worry and anxiety will begin to subside.  My friend, get alone with God!  Allow Him to take care of your heart.  You can trust Him.  He is worthy!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Grateful for you!

~Joy

 

 

We also recommend

2 Comments

  • Reply
    Adrianne
    at

    Amen, sister. What a familiar topic that I identify with all too well.

  • Reply
    Debbie Hardee
    at

    Your exactly right about being a worry wort. It is a normal human reaction but when all is said and done if we turn it all over to God the end result is his will for our lives. Thank you for that message. I definitely needed to read that.

  • Leave a Reply