So don’t worry saying , ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34 HCSB
Stress is caused by worrying. It causes a host of health related issues. Symptoms of stress can include ulcers, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, upset stomach, insomnia, mood swings, and weight gain just to mention a few. Stress is bad for our health.
Now the pharmaceutical companies must be thrilled that we here in America are so stressed out, it’s a multibillion dollar industry. There are all kinds of pills that can be prescribed for anxiety. They work well as long as you keep taking them, but be careful to read all about the side effects. Have you ever noticed that the side effects of some medications are often worse that what it is treating. For example, some commercials will show someone living a stress free life on their anti-anxiety medication, but will warn you that it can cause cancer, heart attack and stroke. Great! Now you have a bunch more things to worry about, right?
Often times in my blog, you will see me say something about focusing on God and putting the scripture passage Matthew 6:33-34 by my statement. I use this verse a lot because this is the verse that finally stuck in my head and turned me from a worrier to a warrior.
I used to live under the assumption that I would prepare for the worst case scenario. I would pray for the best, prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it worked out. Well, that’s not at all how the Bible tells us to do it. This left me worrying because in all reality I was preparing myself for the worst case scenario. To prepare yourself for tragedy, well, it causes you to worry, right? This wasn’t working out for me. When I worry, I suffer from insomnia and migraine headaches. So basically, my worry can be debilitating if it is not brought under control. People used to say, “Aw, don’t worry about it.” Seriously! My life is potentially falling apart and that’s all you got? Don’t worry? How about you just tell me to quit breathing? That would be easier. But then I realized that what I was doing was in direct contradiction to God’s Holy Word. Oh no! No wonder I was having such issues! I was defying God. This scripture passage tells us not to worry. God did not put us on this planet to worry. He put us here to enjoy life to the fullest. John 10:10 tells us, A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. If you really want to make the devil happy, then you just worry your little heart out. But if you want to live a good life and enjoy the time you have here on planet earth, then focus on God. Trust in God. Trust Him to handle everything.
Another verse that you will see often on this blog is Romans 8:28. This verse tells us that God works all things out for our good IF we love Him and are called according to His purpose. This means that if we love God, and are doing the work that He has called us to do, then He’s got our back and we have no need to worry. Trust is where we usually run into trouble. Trusting God means giving all our cares over to Him. It doesn’t mean that we will begin a game of tug of war, it means that we will hand it all over and let it go.
I used to have a problem letting go, but I have learned that God can do a much better job than I can. I have also learned that I can really enjoy my life if I don’t worry.
I don’t know what your current situation is today, but I can tell you that if you are living a life without Jesus, you are walking around with a God sized hole in your heart. You may try to fill it with many things, but nothing will fill it but God. If you draw near to God and are called to salvation, know that the devil will begin to work overtime to get you back. So keep your focus on God and let Him fight this battle for you.
Maybe you have been saved for a long time, but you are wracked with anxiety over some major problems in your life. We all face difficult times and it’s human nature for us to worry. But the relief that comes from living in close relationship with Jesus Christ is awesome. Knowing that God’s got your back is a huge relief.
If you would like to go from a worrier to a warrior, I can tell you how I did it. My sister bought me and her matching t-shirts that says “God’s got this” and beneath that it had Matthew 6:33-34. So anytime I felt myself begin to worry I would say, “God’s got this”. When some well meaning friend would say something like, “wow, aren’t you worried about how this or that will turn out?” I would tell them, “No. God’s got this.” I also kept a few key verses in my head that helped me remember that God’s only god good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11). These verses are Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:33-34, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:31, Proverbs 3:5-6. These verses all have one thing in common. They don’t say the exact same thing, but they all indicate that if we just focus on God and trust in Him then He will handle everything else. If this is the case, what do we have to worry about?
Worry steals our joy. Worry distracts us from doing what God has called us to do. Worry can make us physically ill and emotionally unbalanced. This is not what God wants for us, this is what the devil wants. The devil wants us to worry so much that we find ourselves trapped in our very own little hell on earth. Don’t give him the satisfaction. Trust in God, focus on God and know that He will handle everything else and that He will work all things out for your good. Then you too can be transformed from a worrier to a warrior!
Have a great day!