Worrying

"How many of you by worrying can add one hour to his life?" -Matthew 6:27 NIV

I worry a lot. It's a sin I constantly struggle with. It's one of the main reasons I get panic attacks, back pains, and bad days. This blog post is for me, but feel free to listen in if you feel so inclined.

The Bible talks about worrying a lot. You know what it says about it? DON'T DO IT! Easier said than done, right? You're telling me! Does worrying actually cause you to live longer or grow stronger? Answer: NO!

Too many people sometimes act like victims of worrying, thinking that it's not their fault, but well...it is. Worrying is all your fault, Steve (remember, I'm talking to myself). You continually let "what if" questions in your head constantly. You give your life to Jesus Christ and then it's like you take it back with your anxious thoughts.

Don't you trust Him?

That sounds like an easy question to answer, right? Do you trust Jesus Christ and His power to get you through whatever the circumstance? Just look at your life and you'll see evidence all over the place where God has gotten you through different pains and trials. You know He can get you through this.

"God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). In other words, you have that power, you have that love, and you have that self-discipline. He gave it to you. The fear you have is not of God. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). God's perfect love, which you have not fully embraced, casts out that fear inside of you.

You need to embrace Him more. You need to embrace God's perfect love for you. Jesus died on the cross for you and took the punishment for you and your anxious thoughts. Because He loves you and cares for you. Yes in a way you are inconveniencing God because He doesn't have to help you, but at the same time He rejoices so much in helping you because you are His child. He has taken you in and He can and will help you through your pains.

Does that mean things will always be easy? Absolutely not. Things will not always be easy and things will not always be perfect. However God is perfect and sovereign and in control of what happens to you. He works out everything for His good, which will ultimately be for your good, though it may not be the actual "good" you were expecting.

Steve, you need to relax. You need to let go. You need to chill out. Yes, things will get crazy and the storm will rage. You will get rocked back and forth, but you need to hang on to Jesus Christ and rejoice in Him with every fiber of your being. Rejoice when it hurts, rejoice when it sucks, rejoice when things seem impossible. God will get you through.

I'm not telling you to work for your salvation because you already have it. You don't need to work for God's affection. He gives it to you freely because He loves you so much.

So Steve.....BREATHE!

God has you. God will carry you when you can't go on and His grace is sufficient for you in your times of weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." -1 Peter 5:7 AMP

God bless,

Steve