Worry is a dangerous thing. Because of worry, many Christians are unable to pursue God's will and are unable to trust in Him for every day. As God's people, we should not worry.
There are times, however, when worry is expected: calamities, lack, unexpected emergencies - these are but some of the reasons why many of us worry. There are many other reasons why we worry, but the Bible simply says in the face of it all:
"Do not worry." (see Matthew 6:34)
What is worry anyway?
Many of us think that worry is a feeling of anxiety over something we are concerned about. We worry when we think about our safety when the car is running flat, when we lose our wallet on the way home, or when we're sick and the game is tomorrow. What we don't realize is that worry is more than just a feeling.
Webster's 1828 dictionary says to "worry" is "to tease; to trouble; to harass with importunity, or with care and anxiety." It involves being troubled or harassed with something we are anxious about.
Based on this, worrying means "being harassed by something we care about." It's more than just a feeling. It wears us out and drains us. It steals our joy.
Friends, we shouldn't worry. One of the devil's means to steal from us is to cause to worry, and worry excessively. We shouldn't give him the joy of draining us. No, Christ Jesus wants to give an abundant life, and that's what we should desire.
Tips to fight against worry
To help us overcome worrying and live an abundant life in God, the Bible gives us several things to keep in mind and obey. Here are a few things we should do in order to fight worry when it strikes.
1) Realize that worry won't solve our problems
Worrying can never ever solve a problem. If any, it will just add to our problems. Why should we fret over something we can actually find a way to solve anyway? The Lord Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:26-27,
"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
2) Realize that God can supply our needs better than we can
Next, we must realize that though we are limited, God isn't. He is able to supply our needs far more than any of us can. Consider what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:28-30,
""So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
3) Seek God first and let Him take care of our worries
Now that we've got the first two points settled, we can proceed to what we should really be doing: seeking God and letting Him take care of our worries. This is an arrangement that we should all be saying "yes" to always.
God cares for us, period. He has His purposes for us, and unless we stop worrying over our needs and wants we won't be able to fulfill them. And so, God makes a deal with us. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-33,
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
If we seek God's kingdom and righteousness, He promises to add to our lives the very things we are actually worried about. Food, shelter, clothing, even love and joy, these things God has in abundance. And He wants to give these to us freely as we seek Him.
And so, why not seek Him instead of worrying?
