Mountains Of Needless Worry

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Psalm 139:23 

  

  Over 90% of the things I have worried over in my life either took care of themselves or needed very little effort on my part. They required no worry to get taken care of. Yet I continue to worry despite years of experience teaching me how useless worry is in the big picture of my life. 

  Then there are times when I create worry through bad decisions, thoughtless actions, and habits that bring on worry that I do not need.  

  For the latter issues I need more self-control and better discipline. For the former problems I need faith and to allow God to be God. 

  Perhaps you are in a similar boat, finding worry has become a dreadful habit that you struggle to overcome. 

  Jesus does not want us to worry, and gave specific attention to the issue in His teachings: 

  

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 

  

  Those words convict me every time I read them. Even as a child I seemed a “natural born worrier”. My mom constantly commented about my worrying. It drove me crazy that often she had not a care in the world while worry lines crossed my young furrowed brow. 

  Worrying is a terrible habit that many of us struggle with. Let’s write the words of the Lord upon our hearts and minds and leave worry far behind us. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we worry day and night, agonizing over problems that are better left in Your capable hands. Forgive us, and help us to break the worry habit. Amen.