Consider the Lilies.
Worry is a funny thing. Worry can pull us in a negative direction quickly. It doesn’t take much time spent worrying before we’re feeling depressed and sometimes despondent.
I know—I’m a worrier.
I can’t tell you how I got this way, but I’ve worried about things as long as I can remember. As I began writing today’s post, I tried to think back to when I may have started this terrible habit of worrying. I can’t pinpoint the year, but I know early in school, grades were one of my earliest targets of worry.
I would refuse to turn a paper over to see the grade on a test handed back by the teacher. I’d worry about the grade until I had spent what I thought was enough time mentally preparing myself. Even when I could honestly tell myself I felt good about the test, I worried about the grade.
If you’re like me, what are we to do?
Consider the Lilies. #hope #joy #writingcommunity Click To TweetWhen I’m not allowing worry to take over, I go to the Lord. Having been a Christian since the age of ten, you would think I’d have overcome this issue by now. The Bible tells us not to worry. God knows we can’t all simply stop worrying on our own. He invites us to come to Him.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6, NASB)
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
I love what Jesus told His disciples about flowers.
“Consider the lilies how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you?” (Luke 12:28)
If you are worrying about something and you hastily read those verses or skipped them entirely, I encourage you to take a moment, back up, and read them slowly. If needed, read them again. There are times I have to do that.
I’ll read a verse, and immediately resume worrying. I find I must read the verse again. And if necessary, again. And again. Each time, the words mean more and fill me more abundantly. Pretty soon I realize I’m doing what the verse says rather than simply reading the words. I’m praying, pleading, requesting. I’m humbling myself. Casting my anxiety on Him. I’m resting.
If you’ve ever watched a field of flowers blowing gently in the breeze, you seen a perfect picture of this type of resting.
What insights about worrying would you share with us? Today’s feature photo comes from a “photo-a-day” challenge I pursued several years ago. The photo inspires the topic. For me, the posts challenge my creativity, writing discipline, and dependence on God for His message. My prayer is that you find hope in God’s Word, and that you’ll share your hope with others.
As a fellow worrier, I know what you mean about feeling you should have overcome it by now. I feel the same way so often. I found a couple of things that help me when I get caught up in one of those cycles of worry. As you said, reading the reminders from God’s Word can help, but for me the two things that seem to help most actually involve my prayer journal. The first is looking back through my prayer journal and seeing where God has brought me through seemingly impossible situations, and the second is writing out my worries as prayers. Once I’ve written them down, it’s easier for me to “let go and let God.” Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone in my tendency to worry even though I know better.
Terri, you are so right on. Awesome reminder about see how God has worked in our lives and prayer journals. I know in many Bible accounts, God tells the person, “Do I have to remind you I’m God who did this or that?” In the few short minutes between reading your comment and typing mine, God has reminded me of several times He has taken care of things I’ve worried about. Thank you!