WORRY

Are you consumed with worry?

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

Are you experiencing physical and emotional symptoms that are robbing you of spiritual maturity?

One of the most destructive habits ensnaring human beings is also so common that many consider it as natural as breathing and as harmless as blinking. That habit is called worry. It is such a skilled and deceptive thief that its victims don’t even know they’ve been robbed . . . of peace, of time, of mental energy and of emotional well-being.

Worry is a like a thief in the night that steals your peace. God never intended you to live fearfully focused on the future… a hostage to an emotional heist. In fact, Philippians 4, says, “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.”

"Worry is like a thick braided headband that puts pressure on the mind—a confining cord interwoven with three strands—the distresses of yesterday, the trials of today and the fearful “what if’s” of tomorrow. This vice-like grip of worry tragically compresses your joy, cramps your peace and confines your freedom. But this constriction can be conquered!" — June Hunt

This message powerfully illustrates the insidious nature of worry and its impact on our lives. By likening worry to a thief and a constricting headband, you highlight how it can quietly rob us of peace and joy. Here are some key takeaways from your reflection:

Key Takeaways

1. The Nature of Worry: Worry often masquerades as a natural response, making it easy to overlook its detrimental effects. It can steal our peace and diminish our emotional and spiritual well-being.

2. God’s Promise of Peace: Philippians 4:6-7 offers a profound antidote to worry. By presenting our concerns to God through prayer, we invite His peace into our lives, which transcends understanding and guards our hearts and minds.

3. The Braided Headband Metaphor: The imagery of worry as a tightly woven headband illustrates how past distresses, present trials, and future uncertainties can entrap us. Recognizing this can help us identify and address the sources of our worry.

4. Freedom from Worry: Emphasizing that this constriction can be conquered is a message of hope. Through faith and reliance on God, we can break free from the grips of worry and reclaim our joy and peace.

5. Focusing on the Present: Encouraging a mindset of living in the present rather than fixating on tomorrow reminds us that God is already in our future, providing reassurance and security.

Moving Forward

To cultivate a peaceful heart and mind, consider integrating practices like:

• Gratitude Journaling: Regularly note things you’re thankful for to shift your focus from worry to appreciation.
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Spend quiet time in prayer or meditation to center your thoughts on God’s presence and promises.
• Limit Information Overload: Be mindful of how much news or social media you consume, as it can contribute to anxiety.

Your encouragement to trust in the Lord’s security is a powerful reminder of the peace that comes from faith.

“Peace”! Who doesn’t want to live with a peaceful heart…with a peaceful mind? You can when your security is in the Lord. Worry is a joy killer, strangling your spirit and soul. By worrying, you choke the joys of today. Don’t worry about tomorrow, God is already there. 

Worry is a like a thief in the night that steals your peace.  

Truly, worrying is an exercise in futility.

Worry leads to fear and stress instead of faith and rest.

Realize, when Jesus talked about worry, He redirected our focus onto God. He wants us to understand that our worries don’t change the character of God. Ultimately, grasping God’s character changes how we handle our worries. Perhaps the most poignant phrase Jesus said to worriers is: “. . . your heavenly Father knows . . .” (Matthew 6:32).

Scripture commands you to cast your cares or worries upon the Lord . . . to commit and entrust yourself and your desires and concerns totally to Him. How do you do that?

In the Bible, God often describes His people as being like sheep. When a sheep falls and ends up on its back, it is said to be “cast.” A cast sheep is totally helpless and has no resources upon which it can draw to remedy the situation.

When we worry, we are like cast sheep. We have no resources within ourselves upon which to draw that will really affect our situation.  Jesus actually wants us to cast ourselves upon Him. He wants us to come to the end of our own resources so that we will depend upon Him for our very life.

When we cast ourselves upon Him, He gently picks us up and carries us in His arms. As Isaiah 40:11 says: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” 

Worries become well rehearsed tapes in your mind. You know you shouldn’t worry and you can’t seem to turn the worry tape off … then you worry about your worrying. Fortunately God doesn’t simply say, “Stop worrying,” without telling you how to stop worrying. Although your thoughts and memories can’t be erased, the tapes can be replaced, and Philippians 4:6-9 tells you how.

Why Do You Worry? 

What you worry about is not nearly as important as why you worry. You may know and love God, but when you trust in anything other than God’s promises and provision for your life, then worry will turn your heart away from the Lord and turn your trust into distrust....  

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” 

(Jeremiah 17:5) 

Distorted Thinking—

Trusting God to save you but not trusting Him to meet your everyday needs (Matthew 7:9–11) 

Illusory Control—

Thinking that by mentally arranging future events you can control the outcome (James 4:13–17) 

Super Responsibility—

Having a burdened sense of duty to make every area of your life perfect, not having learned to content yourself  (Philippians 4:11–12) 

Transferred Guilt—

Instead of confronting the real sin in your life, allowing false guilt to surface as worry in other areas (Psalm 32:3–5) 

Runaway Emotions—

Instead of choosing to respond to what Scripture says when you face difficulties, letting anxiety or fear have full control (Psalm 34:4) 

Unhealthy Need—

Feeling a desperate need to have the approval of others and worrying about how you look, how you present yourself (Galatians 1:10) 

Spiritual Starvation—

Trying to live on past spiritual nourishment, but starving for lack of a present spiritual intimacy with God (Psalm 34:8, 10) 

Trampled Self-image—

Lacking a sense of God-given self-worth, thus feeling powerless to cope with problems (Psalm 34:18)