worry

Worry.   A friend of mine describes worry with this acronym:  W.O.R.R.Y.  “Worry-Only-Robs-Rest-from-You.”  It’s true. Worry is exhausting.  An ancient proverb cautions that worry is like “praying for what you don’t want.” But worry seems to come with the territory when you love people.

By temperament, I’m prone to worry.  Yet God’s Word reminds me to put up a fight.  In fact, it’s a command.  “Don’t worry about anything,” Paul writes. “Instead, pray about everything (Phil. 4:6).”  “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you,” encourages Peter (1Peter 5:7).

Most of us would admit that it takes spiritual muscle to resist worry.   But is worry a sin?  I’d have to agree with my husband, David, who says that worry shows we don’t really trust God with part of our life.  Ouch!

So how do I handle life’s trials and troubles if I take worry off the table as one of my options? Paul’s instructions to the Philippians give us a good training tip for dealing with worry:

Don’t worry about anything.  Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

My response? Simply to trust.  Do I trust God enough to take Him at His Word? Do I really believe He is all powerful, all loving, and in control? When life hits hard, I have a choice.  Do I worry or do I pray?  The Lord gently calls me to pause to ponder the many ways He has worked in the past and thank Him for all He has done.  His Word promises that the God-kind of peace, beyond my ability to understand, will guard my heart and my mind, giving no room for worry.

Friends, let’s agree that worry is no longer an option.  Let’s turn our cares into prayers….and replace worry with God’s perfect peace of mind.