Tag Archives: worry

March 13, 2017

“Trust Me” -God

By marilynnchadwick

Trust.  It’s hard to earn and easy to lose. Who do you consider to be truly trustworthy? In our fast-paced world, dominated by social media, it’s easy to create a friendly facade.  How much harder to maintain trust.

The Bible talks a lot about trusting God.  Our relationship with Him is based on trust.  So if we struggle with trust, we probably struggle with God.  That’s nothing new.  People have struggled with trusting God since those fateful days in Eden.

I remember several years ago when I had one of those “mother moments.”  It all boiled down to this: I was having a hard time trusting God with one of my children.  Ever been there?  I was letting my imagination run wild with “what if'” scenarios.  I carried the anxiety to bed with me.  I was still worrying in my sleep, when an audible voice whispered these words: “I can be trusted.”  First person, singular.  “Who was THAT?” I wondered, now half-awake. Continue reading

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November 15, 2016

Worry Robs Our Rest

By marilynnchadwick

Don’t worry about anything.  Instead, pray about everything…(Philippians 4:6 NLT).

Do you have a problem with worry? Maybe you’re exhausted from worrying about everything from your family to the elections, to the economy, to the condition of the world.  But here’s some good news:  The Lord has given us a secret weapon to use against anxiety. He tells us we can overcome worry through prayer.

Now, I happen to be a world class worrier. I didn’t have to learn how to worry. It just came naturally as a by-product of an overactive imagination, a curious mind, and a relentless memory. Marriage and a family only brought more responsibility, and therefore more things to worry about.  I agree with my friend who defines worry with the acronym: W.O.R.R.Y:  Worry-Only-Robs-Rest-from-You. It’s true. Worry is exhausting.

 So as one who is prone to worry, I’m inspired by Paul’s letter to some persecuted Christians in the town of Philippi. They were always in danger of getting killed, and therefore had lots to worry about. “Don’t worry about anything,” he encouraged them. “Instead, pray about everything.”

I’m struck by that word instead. Paul didn’t just say to stop worrying. He said, instead of worrying, to pray.  He tells us to redirect all that furious, anxious energy into prayer.  To make worry work for us instead of against us!

I get that concept.  It sounds a little like a trick I learned back in high school when I took karate in between sports seasons. I was taught to use the enemy’s energy against him. A violent attack could be redirected to incapacitate my attacker.  The Bible reminds us that daily, we are in a spiritual battle.  So, in a similar way, prayer is one way to use the devil’s energy against him.

When we use all the energy (that we are not using for worry) on prayer,  we can begin to experience gratitude and peace, instead of anxiety.  Paul puts it this way: “Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.” Then, “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7 NLT).

Reminder: When you are tempted to worry, try redirecting all that energy into prayer!

(Adapted from Sometimes He Whispers, Sometimes He Roars: Learning How to Hear the Voice of God,  By Marilynn Chadwick, Howard Books, 2012).

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength, Be Specific when You Ask, Wake Up and Pray! Be Alert

March 30, 2016

Confession-Good for the Soul

By marilynnchadwick

God loves us when we are weak, but He delights in making us strong. His power shines most powerfully through our weakness. This is Day 14 of our 21 Days of Strength.  We’ve been exploring the various ways God strengthens us. We’ve seen that structure and order help us free ourselves from the things that rob our strength.  This enables us to follow hard after Christ.

Friends, God wants us to travel lean and light through this life. Light-hearted, that is.  He knows that getting rid of the internal baggage that weighs us down helps run our race of faith.  That’s why He provided a way to cleanse us of the overwhelming penalty of sin through Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection.

Even after we have received God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus, we sometimes find ourselves entangled in sin.  Let’s remember the challenge from Hebrews 12:1 to “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”

Confession is one way we can declutter our soul and “throw off sin.”  We rid our soul of toxins that drain and weaken us by taking them to the cross. “If you confess your sins,” we’re reminded in 1 John 1:9,  He is faithful and just to not only “forgive our sins,” but also to “purify us from all unrighteousness.” We do the confessing, He does the forgiving. The purifying. If that seems too easy, just remember.  It cost God everything.

One area of my life that is mentally draining and sure to weaken my faith is worry.  Over the years, I’ve made a lot of progress in dealing with this unwelcome intruder into my mind.  But I have to be ruthless.  Worry is a robber and a thief.  It steals God’s peace.  Let’s face it.  Worry is exhausting.  A friend of mine developed this little acronym for W.O.R.R.Y:  Worry Only Robs Rest from You.  How true!

So I have to be alert, and when worry springs up, I confess it as sin.  I take my thoughts captive. Remind myself of God’s power.  Reflect on how He has worked in the past.  Fill myself with the promises in His Word.  When I do this, my hope soars in proportion to my lighter mental load. And I gain new strength.

What areas of your life cause to to grow weak and weary?  Rob your strength? How about confessing those to God and trusting Him to give you the strength to overcome.

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October 8, 2015

30 Days of Thankful: Day 6

By marilynnchadwick

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6).

A friend confided to me the other day that she’s had to go into counseling because she’s worried about the threat of ISIS.  The same thing happened again.  Another woman admitted to me that she is suffering panic attacks because she’s fearful of  threats in the Middle East.  These are affluent, suburban women, far from the conflict. But anxiety over the world situation has crippled their hearts. That’s the goal of terror.

It’s Day 6 of 30 Days of Thankful.  And you’re probably wondering what in the world anxiety has to do with our discussion of thankfulness.   I’d like to suggest that giving thanks may be one of our best secret weapons against worry.

I decided to talk with a friend who serves on the front lines of war, giving relief to refugees. I asked him if he was afraid of ISIS. He answered matter of factly, “We’ve learned to trust God for our protection.”  He said these words as calmly as I would have said, “I’ve learned to buckle my seat belt when driving to the grocery store.”

But it was his next words that really got me thinking.  “I am overjoyed at the work God is doing among these refugees,” he said.  “Many are accepting Jesus. I praise God and give thanks as I  see the children reciting Bible verses and taking a bold stand for the Gospel.” There wasn’t a trace of worry in his voice—only gratitude.  And joy.

Most of us live far from the front lines and don’t face daily threats from war. But fear and worry can still attack us right where we live.  Let’s take a lesson from my friend and simply trust God for His protection.

And let’s follow his example in our own neighborhoods and step out boldly to share God’s love with the broken around us.  As we watch God at work, let’s remember to pray and give thanks–and watch fear and worry flee.

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).

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Answer God’s Call, Praise and Thanksgiving, Pray with Authority

March 22, 2015

Day Seven: The Big Picture

By marilynnchadwick

Are you worried today? Perhaps someone you love is going through a tough time. Most of us carry burdens for those in our circle of family and friends. But the next time worry tries to enter your mind, I challenge you to pause. Try to resist the worry and hand this situation to God. The Bible tells us to “Cast your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).  The word cast means “to forcibly evict.” It’s the same word used when Jesus cast out demons. No wonder this exercise takes some spiritual muscle on our part.

Today is Day Seven of our 21 Day Watch. We’ve been mindful to observe how God may be at work in and around us. One of the ways we cast out fear and grow in faith is to understand the big picture, looking at the situation from God’s perspective.

Sometimes we can see the big picture only when we look in the rear view mirror of time. This happened the other night when I was at a party to celebrate the upcoming wedding of a dear friend’s daughter and her fiancé. Family and friends had joined together to shower the young couple with gifts and well wishes for a happy life together. I’d watched this girl grow into a beautiful young woman and was thrilled she had found such a special young man with whom to share the rest of her life.

All of a sudden, my mind drifted back to one morning a couple of years ago. My friend had shared over coffee that she longed for her daughter to meet the right man.  We agreed to pray.  My friend sought the Lord in prayer.  I watched her relationship with the Lord grow in special ways as she prayed for her daughter and each member of her family.  Now here we were, over two years later.  She reflected on how this young man was such an answer to her prayers. “I don’t forget for a moment that this is the man I prayed for,” she said to me.

What if we could see God’s big picture plan for our lives? Especially in those situations which cause us to worry. What if my friend could have seen a video into the future and the man God had prepared for her daughter? A quick answer to prayer and all her heart’s worries would have been put to rest right away. But God allowed her to wait for her answer.  To go through the daily exercise of searching for strength from His Word. Resisting worry. Turning the worry into a prayer. Learning to trust in God’s big picture for her daughter.

My friend would tell you that she grew strong through the “wait training.” As she was faithful to seek the Lord daily through His word and prayer, He gradually gave her a sense of peace about her daughter’s future, even before the answer came.

If you are struggling today with a problem, why not ask God to give you His perspective? Search for promises from His Word.  Seek Him first and trust Him to answer your prayer in His perfect time. Daily life gives us plenty of chances to practice casting worry on the Lord. Those we love are watching to see how we navigate life’s inevitable anxieties.  Next time  you feel fear, take a deep breath.  Think. Pray. Guard your heart…and your peace. And ask God to begin to reveal His big picture.

 Don’t worry about anything.  Instead, pray about everything…Philippians 4:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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