You have reasons to worry. You have better reasons to stop!
You have plenty of reasons to worry
This post is not going to persuade you to think you have nothing to worry about. Of course you do! Daily we find ourselves plagued with worry.
- Will I ever have enough money?
- Will I ever get my dream home?
- Will I succeed in my job?
- Will I get a decent job?
- Will we win the game?
- How am I going to pay for college?
- Will I ever find the one?
- Will my kids turn out ok?
- Do I have any real friends?
- What about my health?
Each new question raises two, then four (and so on) new questions in its place. It is a never-ending cycle that can easily lead to terrible decisions and/or depression.
There is always going to be something to worry about. This worry will ruin your health, your money, you relationships, and your achievements, if you let it.
So why do we do it? Because we lack control. We will never be able to take control of these issues and questions. This is why we worry. We worry about the control we will never have. Life is uncertain, and so we worry.
“Worry assumes the possibility of control over the uncontrollable. The illusion of control lurks inside your anxiety. Anxiety and control are two sides of the same coin. When we can’t control something, we worry.” – David Pawlison, author of Seeing with New Eyes
You have better reasons not to worry
You can let go of the control. You can live in the moment and make decisions with wisdom about your future, but recognize that you ultimately don’t have control over it. Your retirement or 401k may disappear when the market crashes. When all is said and done, what or whom do you put your trust in? If you are trusting in yourself to control all the problems and challenges that come your way, you will regrettably fail. You are only human and limited by nature. I am a Christian. I decided (and have to remind myself daily) to trust that my Creator has a bigger purpose in everything.
Read Luke 12:22-34
This next section is a direct quote from an amazing book by David Powlison, Seeing with New Eyes
There are 7 reasons to not worry:
1. Your life is so much more than food or clothing.
2. Jesus tells people to look around the world.
look at the crows, they eat just fine
3. Which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
4. “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.”
wild, beautiful, and without much
5. Don’t seek what you are going to eat and drink.
watch out for obsession, are you doing it because everyone else is?
6. God promises you…Himself.
most significant of all – its God’s world so life works the way He says it does
7. Having given you so much, your Father calls you to the radical freedom of giving your life away.
we are afraid of losing what we have and will get. We desire only a life of comfort and leisure not purpose. Jesus gave Himself; we should do our best to give as well
You will experience anxiety. It is part of the human condition. Nothing is safe or for certain.
You need a game plan (here it is):
1. Name the fear/pressure or what drives the anxiety
2. Name how you normally respond to that fear/anxiety
3. Ask yourself why are you feeling fear/anxiety
4. Read Jesus promises from the list above
5. Pray to your Father. (This is the easiest one)
6. Give (do something for someone else)
You may be overwhelmed. You may even be overwhelmed reading this post. Do what Jesus did and give yourself to something bigger or different then your problem.