Worrying Over Worry

I have found that one of the things that is difficult to do is not worry. Worrying stands in opposition to faith, because we are not trusting God when we begin to fret about whether or not we will have what we need. Worry does not simply concern finances, it often concerns the future and everything that comes with it. You cannot both worry about the future and trust God with your future at the same time. Do you know what is going to happen? No, and the fact is that no human does. That's why you must trust God who knows your future and has a perfect plan. If you don't trust Him, you may be preventing His plan from coming to pass!

The Bible speaks about worry in Philippians, where it says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV) To really understand how this applies to us and our problem with worrying, let's examine the passage a little closer.

To "be anxious" is literally "to worry about something." According to the Bible, the Christian has "nothing" to worry about. Jesus made it very clear that God will provide for His own and that includes providing for their future needs as well as their present needs (Matthew 6:25-34). In fact, Jesus said that "...your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things," which are the things that you really need, rather than the things that you really want (Matthew 6:32b, NKJV). Jesus asked a very practical question in this same passage. He asked, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:27, NKJV) Think of the imagery of that. When you worry, you probably go about like most people with your shoulders slumped and a look of trouble on your face. On the contrary, when you go about with nothing to worry about, your stance is taller, your step is more sure, and you act like all is well. Jesus question carries this basic idea of what worrying does to you on the outside, but also the idea of what worrying does to you on the inside. Do you think that worrying will somehow make you look or feel better? Trust me, it will not.

So what are we to do instead of worrying? In Philippians, the Bible said, "...in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6a, NKJV) God knows what you need before you ask for it, but you should still ask Him for it. To not ask Him is to be presumptious, acting as if you deserve what He said that He would provide. We are to pray and plead with Him over what we need, but not without giving Him thanks, because when we ask for what we need He will provide it! Jesus also gave some encouragement on this matter, saying, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11, NKJV) Most of the time when I am worrying about something, I realize that I have probably not prayed much about it and if I have, I have not completely trusted that God would answer that prayer. The choice is clear: Are we going to trust God or worry? How you pray will show what choice you have made.

One last point needs to be drawn out from Philippians, where the Bible explains the rewards of not worrying. If we choose to trust God with our worries in prayer, it is written that "...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NKJV) I know from experience that there is no reasonable explanation that can be given for the peace that God can give in seemingly hopeless situations. That peace is the absence of worry and it will "guard" you against the dangers of worry, which is mainly losing faith in God over your worries. No, worry cannot help you in any way, but God's peace can help you through anything!

"Lord, I don't know what the future holds for me, but I don't care, because You hold my future! Lord, please give me the strength to continue believing that and living like it! Thank-you for providing all that my family needs both for now and in the future!"