When someone tells me, “I worry a lot,” I suggest they say instead, “I waste much of my time deliberately tormenting myself with disturbing thoughts.” Sounds foolish, doesn’t it? Worry is tormenting, and the Bible describes worry as the sin of unbelief—not believing that God is going to take care of tomorrow.
Worry: 1. To tease; trouble; harass with importunity, care and anxiety.
2. To fatigue; harass by pursuit
Dixie Yoder 3. To tear or mangle with the teeth.
4. To vex and persecute brutally By definition, it’s obvious there’s never a time when worry is helpful or beneficial. We nurture disturbing, worried thoughts either through neglect: letting them run through our minds unchecked and unchallenged; or by holding onto them deliberately, supposing that the “load we carry” will generate sympathy in others. However, people eventually respond to our ongoing fretting with annoyance, not sympathy Worry takes over when we add, subtract, multiply and divide: · WorryincreaseswhenweADDmorethings to an already full schedule; we ADD pressure to maintain our image; we ADD others’ expectations to each day’s agenda. This ADDITION produces angry disappointment toward ourselves; toward God; other people, and life in general.
· Worry increases when we reduce God’s available gift of power by SUBTRACTING God’s timing from our requests; SUBTRACTING prayer from our day; SUBTRACTING acknowledgement of God’s presence from our crisis or life experience. The assumption that God isn’t interested causes us to doubt His unchangeable goodness and mercy.
· WeMULTIPLYworrybyimagining“what if”; “but maybe”; or “this could happen tomorrow”. Worry MULTIPLIES within “always” and “never” statements, and the melodramatic pronouncements, “it scares me to death” or “ it has happened a million times.” MULTIPLICATION produces terrifying monsters, blown out of all proportion.
· Worry grows in the flawed DIVISION of our lives into “secular” and “sacred”. For example, DIVIDING work and relationships (“my business”) from church and good deeds (God’s business), causes us to forget that God is sovereign; always interested and involved in everything His children think, do and say.
Jesus knew we would have ample opportunity to be worried, anxious and distressed. He and His disciples lived in perilous times. There has never been a time since sin came into the world, that peril has not lurked just around the corner. In times of greater affluence, or between wars, we’re able to ignore the peril more easily, but it never disappears.
Jesus prepared His disciples for difficulties. (John 16:33) “I’ve told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation, trials, distress and frustration; but…take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world…I have conquered it for you.”
We must each persistently choose whether to worry and nurture anxiety about life, or to focus on God’s good and unfailing promises. Jesus prays for us; (John 17:20; Hebrews 7:25). Holy Spirit intercedes for us continually (Romans 8:27). At salvation, we are eternally joined to God Himself. This gives courage in life’s difficulties, but only if we are focused on God, not the difficulty.
“My [own] peace I now give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. (YOU) do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (YOU) stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and (YOU) do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” John_ Colossians 3:1-3 “ Since you have been raised with Christ to new life…seek the rich, eternal treasures above...keep your minds set on the higher things that are above, not on earthly things…for you have died, and your new, real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
If you or someone you know struggles with anxiety and worry, call Infinite Grace Ministries at 580-774-2884 to learn how the love and mercy of God can set you free.
