WORRY WON'T CHANGE A THING, GOOD OR BAD

WORRY WON'T CHANGE A THING, GOOD OR BAD

I have heard it said that most of what we worry about never comes true. That isn't always the case. Some of what people worry about does come to pass. Worrying doesn’t change a thing, though. It is a waste of time and mental energy. It robs us of peace and hinders our progress in whatever we are trying to achieve. It adversely affects our health, including our mental health. When we are told in scripture not to worry, it is a much bigger deal than we make it out to be. We skim over those scriptures and say to ourselves, “Yow, right.” Maybe we should take those scriptures more seriously.

Another form of worry is to go through all of the "What ifs." We do want to learn from a situation but it doesn't help to itemize the "What ifs." If one "if" could be changed, all of them could be changed.

One of our church leaders said that we are to give everything to God including our bills. Everything belongs to Him anyway and that includes the bills. Let God worry about them, but do all within your power to get them paid and be careful what you buy.

Our worries pale in comparison to the trials that people in other countries and even in our own country face. Some are running from bombs and live in constant fear, some are being beaten and/or tortured, some are starving, some have lost everything in natural disasters, etc. Turning to God can make a difference whether big trials or small. They all seem big in the moment. I've heard it said "Don't worry about the small things -- and they're all small." That isn't true either. Some "things" are not small at all but nothing is too big for God.

The old saying “This day too will pass” is so true. A good night’s sleep brings another day and a better mood. Accept what you can’t change and don’t worry about it. God's arm is not too short to solve any problem. But do your part to better the situation if you can.

Help someone else with their problems. It will take your focus off of yourself. You won’t be self-absorbed with worry. Stay busy. Clean your house. Go dancing. Visit with friends. Take a shower. Do things that make you feel better.

Be realistic. Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:27

Here's the conclusion of the matter as spoken by Jesus: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) Tomorrow may possibly hold a big problem but cross that bridge when you get to it. Worrying about it today won't help. It will just drain you mentally and physically. And the problem may never materialize.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

--Becky Wall