Submitted by David Miler
You know, life just sometimes hits us hard. Whether it is a sick child, a dying parent, a job loss, and the list goes on. We have heard all of our Christian lives to trust and obey but how does that trust supersede our natural tendency to worry?
Look at it as a competition for our concentration: Worry vs. Trust. The goal is to weed out worry and plant trust in Jesus. To do that, we need to realize a few keys to understanding and overcoming worry:
1. Why worry? Worry never works. Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"(Luke 12:25*, NIV). Let's think about it: Worry never works! Then, in the following verse (v. 26), Jesus pointed something else out: "Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" God considers the extension of life, the very thing we worry about most, to be a very little thing. Our omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God remains so good and so trustworthy! Why not trust Him?
2. Worry wastes time: It never solves problems, and it dissolves energy and time. Again, it never extends life.
3. Worry never hurries answers. It falsely gives one a feeling of "doing" something. Yet it never does.
4. Trust remains a must: Trust God. His Word, not worry, must reign in our hearts. For every worry, find an applicable Bible verse to memorize and internalize. Instead of denying the fact that you're worrying, face it with God's Word. Do not be ashamed to tell God you are worried and struggling to trust in Him.
5. Trust God more than feelings. And transform typical negative "what if's" into positive, faith-filled "what if's." God never leads us wrong. Every good and perfect gift comes directly from Him. Jesus said, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"(Matthew 7:11). Stop worrying. Instead, start praying and obeying.
6. Unconditionally trust and love God: Remove conditions from your faith walk. (Stop the "If You do this, I'll love You more" syndrome.) God never changes. He unconditionally loves us and plans what's best for us. Let's love Him unconditionally, too.
7. Love God and others without fear or worry of rejection. When we let God's love enter and flow through us, we exit fear.
So, in the midst of the worry, I encourage you to find the courage to let God know you’re worried, that you are scared. Then, allow Him to fill you with His power and His courage, your trust for Him will follow.
