Posted on 06/08/2019 4:46:29 AM PDT by metmom
“‘For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?’” (Matthew 6:25).
For Christians to worry is to be disobedient and unfaithful to God. Nothing in our lives, internal or external, justifies our being anxious when God is our Master.
Worry is basically the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other. In the Greek, the tense of Jesus’ command includes the idea of stopping what is already being done. We are to stop worrying and never start again.
The English term worry comes from an old German word meaning to strangle, or to choke. That’s exactly what worry does—it’s a type of mental and emotional strangulation that probably causes more mental and physical afflictions than any other single cause.
The substance of worry is nearly always extremely small compared to the size it forms in our minds and the damage it does in our lives. It’s been said that worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind that, when encouraged, will cut a channel so wide that all other thoughts will be drained out.
If worrying is a pattern in your life—stop now. In the days to follow you’ll learn why you should trust your Father and stop worrying.
Ask Yourself
Would you categorize yourself as a worrier? If so, what do you think has driven you to choose the perceived relief of worry over the actual relief of trust in God? If not, what has tipped your heart in favor of less worry and more confidence and contentment?
Studying God’s Word ping
So instead of wrrying about what I’m going to wear today, I should just go neked.
Worry has never done anything but make things appear worse for me.
You’re right....worry doesn’t help....but as a Mom...It’s our job. I grab my rosary....and lean a bit.
Did not know worrying is a sin. The only problem is I don’t know how to stop.
How to stop worrying: study God.
Worrying is like paying interest on a loan you haven’t made.
Yes - it is difficult to stop. Plus, we should distinguish between an appropriate level of concern and worry. For my part, I try to dial it down if it is not leading me to take effective action. And I'm not too sure it is helpful to tell someone who is worrying that they are sinning unless you give them some specific advice on how to stop. It is not easy.
Good post.
Baloney.
I worry and it has nothing whatsoever to do with my trust in God's providence.
I worry that I'm not on the same page with God, for His plans are not always easy to discern. Am I doing what He wants? If not, I don't want to find out the hard way.
I wouldn't say I worry too much, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
A bigger problem is the sin of presumption. I worry about that.
Me on both counts.
I am on a Pricilla Shirrer Bible study. She says it like this. Do not burden your spouse, your family, those important people around you with your fears, concerns, worries.
These burdens are for The Lord to carry for you.
I say this after losing my job in Feb and working a commission job... every month is a worry that i can’t pay the rent. I was acting crazy with fear and worry, hurting everyone around me.
From now on, i am intentionally not allowing that.
If I can’t pay the rent, i am sure good will come out of it. It won’t help to freak out about it any more, which is not to say i accept it either.
Well, that "was" the original intention......
Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry.
It’s like saying don’t look out the window. If you think about something you shouldn’t do, you’re usually tempted to do it.
The idea is to find something positive and uplifting within Gods will to occupy your thoughts. Typically the recommendation will be to read the word of God.
But I think in reading God’s word it should be something positive at least during the times when we struggle with negative and sinful thinking. The problem often is that reading the word or listening to scripture or sermons we are mostly confronted with some very hard and depressing realities. The whole idea of accepting suffering is so contrary to our nature, and surrender and acceptance is impossible without God’s grace.
Thank you I have been doing just that.
“Typically the recommendation will be to read the word of God.”
Do you live in FL?
I struggled with that for a long time.
I was praying about it once and God showed me that I was worrying because I could not control everything. Which I realized was true. I can’t even control myself, much less any thing or any one else. And who better to control things than God, who knows the beginning from the end?
Then He showed me the hardest part of all to swallow but in my case was so true.
I was worrying because I wasn’t trusting Him. So I confessed and repented of that and the worry kind of just evaporated. I still sometimes struggle with worry and control freak issues. I guess it’ll always be something I struggle with, but now I have more awareness of what I am doing and make that conscious effort to trust Him more.
It helps a lot.
I find that if I stay in the Word on a daily basis, even just reading a couple chapters a day, it makes a HUGE difference in my life and the amount of peace I have.
And you are right.
Looking into the word is not always easy, but is always worthwhile.
Thank You for your words of inspiration. I do read the Bible daily and always placed my trust in Him. I will eventually ‘settle’ down. DM
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