Worry

Worry

Worry in our thoughts, like a dripping faucet, is sometimes hard to turn off!  But worry can lead to our being afraid or to making foolish choices.  Let’s see what God, in the Bible, has to say about worry.

Why is worrying a bad thing? First of all, Jesus tells us that worrying is a waste of time.  It’s in the Bible, "And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not! And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?"(Luke 12:25-26, TLB).

How can worrying become hurtful to me? "Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm"(Psalm 37:8, TLB).

Does God really have everything under control? It’s in the Bible, "So don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and He will give them to you if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to." (Matthew 6:31-33, TLB).

Then how can we handle worry? We can replace it with something better—prayer. God has given this promise in Philippians 4:6-7, TLB. "Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

We can have peace and let God handle our worries. This is a great verse to underline and memorize in your Bible. "Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." (I Peter 5:7 TLB).

Rely on Christ, not yourself. It’s in the Bible, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."(John 15:5, NKJV).

Christ offers rest to those who are burdened with worries. It’s in the Bible, Matthew 11:28, NKJV. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

God gave up His Son for us; we can trust He will give us what we need. It’s in the Bible, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how he will not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32, NIV

Avoid worry even in difficult times by trusting in God. It’s in the Bible, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."(Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV).