"The entrance of thy words giveth light (Psalm 119:130)."
Dealing With Worry
" . . . do not worry about your life . . . " {Matthew 6:25 NIV}
". . . do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." {Matthew 6:34 NIV}
But how?
In order to benefit from this article, it is necessary to first get saved.
Some tips to help you.
First: start with prayer.
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." {Philippians 4:6-7 TLB}
God is a personal God. Get into the habit of talking to God about your worries, whenever you are worried. Recognize God's presence when you are worried. Trust God.
And be sure to approach God with an attitude of thanksgiving.
Second: recognize that you are not alone in needing God's help.
Remember the chorus from the hymn "I Must Tell Jesus."
- I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
- I cannot bear my burdens alone.
- I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
- Jesus can help me. Jesus alone.
Remember, you are dealing with a personal God who loves you, is all-powerful and who is always present.
Third: cast your burdens on the Lord.
"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." {Psalm 55:22 NASB}
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden . . ." {Psalm 68:19 NASB}
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." {Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV}
"For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways." {Isaiah 64:4-5 NASB}
Each day a burden exists:
- Cast your burden on the Lord.
- Trust & obey.
- Be willing to do whatever God says to do or not do.
- Wait until it becomes clear what to do.
- Don't dwell on the issue.
You can make your life better—and easier—by getting into the habit of casting your burdens on the Lord—every day.
"When you are at rest about the situation and no longer tormented with thoughts about it, you know you have cast the burden upon the Lord."1
Bring the issue to God, humble yourself before Him, and listen.
Humility, before God, should not be overlooked. This is an important part of 'casting your burden on the Lord.' Otherwise, God may not agree to carry your burden.
God's voice always comes in the context of relative peace—and is never condemning.
If you don't hear anything, there is nothing to be done—at least not at this time. God will make things clear—in time.
Don't expect to hear an audible voice; instead be receptive to impressions from the Holy Spirit.
Recognize that you have a responsibility, while you're waiting, to walk wisely and not give in to fear.
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered." {Proverbs 28:26 NKJV}
"For we live by faith, not by sight." {2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV}
It is very important to remember that you've put the issue in God's hands—and you will do whatever God says to do or not do—whenever He makes this clear.
God may tell you to do something different at the last moment.
So, since you're waiting for God's decision, it's pointless to keep trying to figure things out for yourself.
Simply decide to trust and obey.
It also helps to remind yourself that it is now God's problem—not yours.
Dwelling on a problem, unnecessarily, amounts to taking the burden back. This will always be emotionally damaging.
More information is available in the series entitled How to Cast a Burden. Another link is provided at the end of the article.
Fourth: Practice trusting God whenever you experience worrying thoughts.
- “Trust in the LORD with all your heart . . ." {Proverbs 3:5 NKJV}
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
Trusting God is essential to break free of worrying. Reciting these Scriptures, alone, is insufficient; you have to do what they say.
Fifth: Seek out wise counsel and emotional support from others.
"Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory." {Proverb 11:14 NASB}
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." {Galatians 6:2 ESV}
It is difficult not to worry when you don't know what to do.
It is also important to have other people to share your feelings with when you experience emotional challenges.
Sixth: practice reciting Scripture.
Examples:
- " . . . do not worry . . . " {Matthew 6:25 NIV}
- "Trust in Him at all times . . ." {Psalm 62:8 NASB}
- ". . . do not worry about tomorrow." {Matthew 6:34 NKJV}
- "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." {Philippians 4:13 NKJV}
- "For we live by faith, not by sight" {2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV}
- ". . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right . . . think about these things." {Philippians 4:8 NASB}
Preferably, say the Scripture out loud. And make an effort to do what Scripture says.
Seventh, practice using affirmations based on Scripture.
Examples:
- "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." {Ephesians 6:10 NIV}
- I am strong in the Lord. {Ephesians 6:10}
- "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." {2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV}
- I have a sound mind.
- ". . . do not worry about tomorrow." {Matthew 6:34 NKJV}
- I'm not going to worry about that.
These affirmations will strengthen and help you to avoid unnecessarily dwelling on negatives.
Sixth: use other practical affirmations.
Examples:
- I don't need to worry about this.
- I'm not going to worry about this.
- I don't need to practice (what I'm going to say).
- I can do whatever I need to do.
- I can handle this.
- I will be just fine.
Keep your thoughts positive and constructive, rational and comforting. Correct negative thoughts.
Your self-talk is very important.
Eighth: God has forgiven you, now you must forgive others. {Colossians 3:13 et. al}
You will find it impossible to stop worrying unless you also forgive everyone involved. Refer to my article entitled How to Forgive.
Finally: The following articles are also recommended:
- Declarations to Strengthen You.
- How to Cast a Burden.
- Dealing With Fear.
- When Satan Gets a Foothold.
- Stopping Spiritual Attacks.
1 https://walkwiththewise.org/how-to-practically-cast-your-burdens-upon-the-lord/
By using this website you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.