How Not to Worry – Episode 20

Heya! Last time I shared a practical example of an opportunity to worry that I didn’t tap into. I could be worrying about the unexpected delay in our visa process as we head overseas as missionaries. But I’m not.

How am I doing that? What did I do differently when this potential worry came my way than what I used to do in my past when I’d stress about things that didn’t go the way I expected them to?

Did you know there are some practical steps to take to eradicate worry from your life?

There are. And fortunately the Bible reveals the to us.

Anti-Worry Passage

If you struggle with worry then Philippians chapter 4 is the place you want to go in the Bible. Verses 6 through 9 lay out a process that can eradicate worry from our lives completely. There’s a ton of great stuff in these four verses. So we’re going to spend as much time here as we need to process it thoroughly.

Hopefully by the time we get to the end of this you’ll be equipped to live a worry-free life no matter what problems come at you down the road.

So let’s dive in!

First Things First

The first thing we should do is pray. In verse 6 and 7 of Philippians Paul says this:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Paul tells us not to be anxious. What is anxiety? Worry.

Really worrying is meditating on the negative, what can go wrong. It’s one big giant what-if game. Worry keeps you from getting back to sleep in the middle of the night because your mind is spinning on all the negative possibilities.

Ruminating

For those of you who don’t know, my wife Lisa was a veterinary technician for 20+ years. (Just as an aside, because she knows about the insides of animals it means some of our conversations can get pretty gross at times. Often at dinner time. Think about it.) Anyway she says worrying is behaving like a cow.

Cows are ruminants. Or as the Bible says, they “chew the cud.” They literally bring their food back up into their mouths after they’ve eaten it to chew on it some more. (I know, yuck, right?)

Well, that’s what we do when we worry. We have a negative thought. OK. It happens. But then we take ownership of that thought and start going through all the possibilities.

Maybe you’ve got a problem at work. Or maybe you’re out of work and looking for a job but haven’t put as much time into your job search as maybe you could have. (Maybe in your heart you’ve kind of given up!)

Then you have a thought: I should have worked on my resumé some more and filled out some more applications this week instead of hanging out with the guys and going to those social things in the evenings.

Paul says that’s where it should stop.

But so many times we take that one thought and run with it. Our thoughts go something like this.

We’ve got enough money to make it through a bit longer. But what if we get an unexpected bill? What if the car breaks down? How can I go to interviews without a car? If I can’t go on interviews how will I get a job? Who will hire someone who doesn’t even have a car? If I don’t get a job we’ll be evicted from our place. If the car breaks down we’ll lose the house for sure. Or what if one of us gets sick? We don’t have insurance so how will we pay for it? We’re doomed! I’ll never find work. How will we make it? I don’t even know if I’m saved!

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But how many times have we done exactly that?

Paul says don’t do that. Don’t let your mind go there. Stop it!

Be. Anxious. For. Nothing.

but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

A Better Approach

Here’s how it should go instead.

You have a thought: I should have worked on my resumé some more and filled out some more applications this week instead of hanging out with the guys and going to those social things in the evenings.

Then you stop. And you pray.

Father, I feel like I messed up. I should have worked on my resume some more and filled out some applications so I wouldn’t be stressed about this job thing. Honestly I am a little stressed about it. But I thank you because you work everything together for my good because you have called me according to your purpose. Even when I mess up you have my back. And you’re right. Even though I could see the time this week with my friends a waste, you did have me ministering to those folks while we were hanging out. You care about your people and you care about my friends. So you had me encourage them with your word. I know tomorrow is going to be a great day. Thank you for the good night’s sleep I’m going to have now.

That’s a whole lot better than staying up half the night worrying.

There’s a whole lot more to this, but we’re out of time for today. I’ve got something to share with you next time that I think will change your perspective on worry in a big way and help free you of that destructive habit.

Until then, Enjoy!