Do You Worry? Why?

Worrying … Is it Worth Your Time?

Do you fret about tomorrow while today is embracing you with warmth and kindness? Why do you find yourself wrapped in worry? 

What happens when we move from dwelling in worry to living in faith? How do our days change when we rely on our beliefs to live lives that are not carefree?

Soothing Bible passages (NIV) urge us to renounce our disquiet about what we cannot change.

Matthew 6:27 – Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

Luke 12:22-26 – Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:4-7 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Blessings of Our Days

Do you take each day on earth on its own merits, keeping a smile of eager anticipation on your face? It seems that worrying about what you cannot alter is like looking at the traffic light three blocks away. Why stress that it might turn red by the time you arrive? That will either happen or it won’t, you can’t control it.

One person will give circumstances no more than a fleeting thought, while another dwells on the same situation, letting the anxiety build and erode enjoyment.

Why the Differences?

What makes us sway one direction or the other? Some people worry about big things—the meaning of life, world peace, and what comes after we leave this earth. Others worry about little things—what’s for lunch, did we slather on enough sun screen? Big or small, worry is still worry.

To worry or not to worry? Upbringing? Theology? Four of us were raised in the same house, same parents, same rules. Yet we lose sleep over different things.

I reside mostly in the land of anti-worry. Not because I’m not a deep thinker. If you need a topic thought to death, hand it to me. I can—and will wholeheartedly—overanalyze almost anything until it’s been thought of eighteen ways from Sunday. (Which parent used to say that?) I rationalize that trait by stating I’m not stressing, I’m pondering. I’ll debate said subject until it wishes it were dead and out of my brain’s reach.

Mom could worry any topic to oblivion and back again until the very idea unraveled around the edges. Sometimes Mom worried the opposite of things. If she took her umbrella and it didn’t rain, she’d be stuck carting it around. Whatever is pending will either happen or it won’t. It will rain or it will not. I can look out the window, judge the skies, and take my chances. But no preparation, or lack of, will change whether or not the drops fall. Mom taught me: What’s the use in worrying what I cannot alter?

Transforming an Attitude

After welcoming Christ into my life, I learned that fretting often takes a lot of dominance over you. If I want to be healthy and whole, it’s better to hand Him my concerns and continue staying actively alive. 

I like to say that accepting Jesus changed everything and changed nothing. A Christian’s life doesn’t get easier when they decide to follow Jesus. Life doesn’t become a breezy Hollywood musical where every situation is resolved to an upbeat, lyrical conclusion.

God doesn’t erase the difficulties of living life. He won’t do the work—that obligation remains on us, believers or not. But He will carry us along while we do it. The Bible teaches us. God lifts us up, holds our hand, and points us in the correct direction. 

If we let Him.

God, I’ve learned, is powerless for us when we struggle to grasp the reins and set our own life course. He pauses in leading us when we try to force command over what we can’t control. We learn there is far more out of our reach and authority than within it.

Give up the negative and move on.

So it is With Worry

We can work ourselves up about a subject until we are ill from anxiety. Or we can pray.

I choose the praying part. Supplicating myself to God, I pray He will give me wisdom and clear choices. I promise (a promise I break far too often) to try better to emulate Him and spread good in the world. To share His light with more people. 

In the action of praying, 
I find solace and a lifting of my spirits.
My shoulders release their tension. 
Clarity surrounds pending decisions.
I breathe easier, and delve into life.

Life was meant to be thought of with intention and lived with gusto.

So worry? Why bother?

---

Read, Avoiding Ruts