I suppose everyone worries. I know I do.
It seems that other people worry as well. Each time I write about worry, my readership goes way up. It must be a universal human need. To view an earlier post about worry, click here: http://waylonbailey.com/2014/07/08/worry/ and here: http://waylonbailey.com/2014/02/26/you-dont-have-to-worry/
The fact that Jesus told us not to worry shows that we have a real tendency to worry and often to let our worry get the best of us.
How do we overcome worry?
We overcome worry by putting our trust in God. Jesus did not give us three, four, or five steps to overcome worry; He gave us one.
His one step to defeat our worry had to do with trusting the God who loves us and cares for us deeply.
Jesus told us not to be anxious about life. He counseled His followers not to be anxious about food, drink, and clothing. God knows your needs and cares for you.
He gave us the example of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. If God so cares for birds and flowers, won’t He truly care for us and give us what we need? We simply need to trust God with our lives.
Jesus asked two great rhetorical questions. If God so feeds the birds of the air, won’t He do much more for you? If God clothes the lilies of the field with such splendor, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
The issue is faith. Do you trust God? Are you willing to place your life and your future in His hands?
Here is a suggestion for you. As you pray, tell God what you are worried about and tell Him you want to trust Him with your need. Let Him know you are having trouble releasing the burden, but you want to do so. Then tell Him that you trust Him. Ask Him to help you trust Him more.
Instead of worry, we should put our minds on the things of God. As we seek God and His kingdom, our Heavenly Father will graciously supply our needs (compare Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:19).
“And seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
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4 Responses
Thanks Waylon. Anxiety is very near the top of the list of problems for which people seek counseling these days. Our magnificent brains with the ability to anticipate the future become a curse when anxiety causes us to brace up against the possibility of future tribulations. As you point out, Jesus teaches us to trust God for whatever will happen in the future [He will be there] so that we can live peacefully in the present. Some folks seem pretty hard-wired for anxiety and a primary aspect of their sanctification is to train their bodies to relax into the peace of Christ. Powerful affirmations of Truth can help: “God is with me, and will never forsake me. All is well.” The Bible teaches that love and gratitude are the antidotes to fear: “Perfect LOVE casts out fear..” “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, LOVE, and a clear mind…”, and “Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Where there is fear/worry/anxiety, displace it with love and gratitude, and keep doing it until the worry recedes and love and gratitude become the norm. More at my blogsite marlyn249.blogspot.com. “What, Me Worry?”
Thanks Pastor Bailey! This is one of my flaws that I am working on.
Good for you. We all need to deal with this to some extent