How to Stop Worrying

It seems like worry is rampant in our culture, but you don’t have to be consumed by worry. Here are some easy ideas about how to stop worrying and be happy!

How to Stop Worrying

I wonder how many hours of our lives we have wasted worrying about things that never happen?

Not too long ago I wrote an article about the spirit of fear. Shortly after I wrote it I had a very interesting conversation with an older woman I have known for a while. Even though she has always considered herself a strong Christian, fear and worry have been her middle names.

What made me stop and think was a story she told me how her granddaughter had to park in a parking garage every day. The woman went on to say that she worried herself sick each day thinking that something was going to happen to her granddaughter in that parking garage.

 

Years later, her granddaughter is fine and nothing ever happened to her. This woman has worried about many things like this all of her life and not one of them has ever come to pass. Do you know how much time and energy she has wasted in her life worrying about something that never even happened and the chances were that they never would?

How many of us spend all of our time worrying about things that will never happen? Think about your own life. What have you worried about in the past week, month or year that never came to pass or that, if it did happen, worked out fine? How often have you lived through it or it didn’t turn out as bad as you thought?

How often do we buy or see products advertised that are supposed to help take care of something we are worried about?

Maybe in Philippians 4:8 when it talks about thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable and anything that is excellent or praiseworthy, one of the things it really means is to think about these things because it will help you get rid of worrying and fearful thoughts. If you read the verses above it (Philippians 4:6) it says to be anxious about nothing and then follows with what kinds of things you should think about. Worrying thoughts are not on the list.

God gives us many commandments, all of which are designed for our own good. So often we are self righteous and proud of ourselves because we wouldn’t dream of committing adultery, murdering or stealing but how often do we fall into Satan’s trap and break what we Christians sometimes think of as the “little” or “not so important” commands of God like, “Do not be anxious,” “fear not,” “don’t gossip,” etc?

Like the “main” commandments, He gives us these others for our own good and protection. In the same way we should give rules to our children for their own good and protection.

Worries and fears can not only destroy our lives but our families’ lives, just as murder, adultery and stealing can destroy their lives. If you think about it, worrying and fear is a form of stealing, adultery and murder. It steals good, loving and practical thoughts from our minds. It commits adultery by causing us to always think about our worries instead of God and our family. It murders because, if you worry enough, it will kill your physical body, your emotional life and your spiritual life, which will destroy your family.

Have you heard the story of the man looking down the road to see that 10 “worries” were headed toward him? He didn’t know what to do. He was so afraid but, in the end, only one of the worries actually arrived.

Don’t allow Satan to win this battle by keeping you wrapped up in your worries all the time. You and I both know worrying has never ever fixed one thing, whether it is your finances, your marriage or your kids. Get rid of your worries and fears so you can use the common sense that God has given you to deal with the one problem (like in the story) when and if it comes, because chances are it won’t even happen.

I hope you all have a worry free day!

      -Jill