The Word on Wednesday...

wor·ry [wur-ee, wuhr-ee]
verb, -ried, -ry·ing, noun, plural -ries.

–verb (used without object)
1. to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

–verb (used with object)
2. to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.

–noun
3. a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
4. a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
5. act of worrying.

Philippians 4:6-7- "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 1:7- "For God has not given us the spirit of fear (worry); but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

1 Peter 5:6-7- "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Philippians 4:8- "Finally, brothers, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

Are you a worrier?

Some people do exercises, such as Yoga, to relieve stress and worry. Some people use things like worry beads, squishy balls, rubber bands, and other objects to relieve stress and worry. Some people vent to friends and family to relieve stress and worry. Some people pray to relieve stress and worry. Do I think that all of those other tactics are all bad? No, not necessarily. But, I do firmly believe that praying is the absolute best way to relieve stress and worry.

There is a difference between worry and concern. Does God expect us to pray, and then do nothing else? No, there are true concerns that we need to pray about, and then follow God's guidance and take care of them.

There is an interesting set of statistics which indicate that there is nothing we can do about 70 percent of our worries:

What We Worry About:
40% are things that will never happen.
30% are about the past- which can't be changed.
12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue.
10% are about health, which gets worse with stress.
8% are about real problems that can be solved. **

Sometimes the distinction between worry and concern can be confusing. In the book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, JoAnna Weaver breaks down the difference:

Concern
-Involves a legitimate threat
-Is specific (one thing)
-Addresses the problem
-Solves the problem
-Looks to God for answer

Worry
-Is often unfounded
-Is generalized
-Obsesses about the problem
-Creates more problem
-Looks to self or others for answers

God never promises us an easy, carefree life. But, He does promise that if we come to Him, He will give us "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding." I have had many "concerns" lately: When and where will Zack get a job, will I find two more students to fill the positions in my preschool, how will we pay next month's mortgage, etc, etc??? My prayer and desire is that I will not worry and obsess about these things, but "cast all of my anxiety on Him" and think of "lovely,admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy" things. Let's remember that the tongue is a powerful tool. It is important to speak the Truth, to speak positive, and to continue to give God praise and glory through good times and bad!

Father, thank you for your wonderful promises! Thank you that I can lean on you, trust in you, and come to you with all my concerns- big and little. You are such a loving, caring, comforting, understanding God. I give you glory and praise for not making my life easy and carefree, but giving me trials and burdens, so I can become closer to you! You are so awesome and I love you so much! Amen.




**"An Average Persons Anxiety Is Focused on..." quoted in John Underhill and Jack Lewis, comp., Bible Study Foundation Illustration Database, Bible Study Foundation Web site (www.Bible.org).