I know people who worry about everything, and if they aren’t worried, they begin to worry about that, certain they’ve missed something they need to worry about. Is that you?
One friend won’t walk on the sidewalk or on certain parts of the bike path in our town because it’s too close to the road.
Worry is the embodiment of fear. It takes over your mind and affects your actions. It holds you captive, keeping you from enjoying the life God has given you.
On top of that… Worry is sin.
God said be angry and sin not. Anger is not a sin, what it leads us to might be. He says simply, “Do not worry.”
I’ve heard it said that worry is praying for that thing you don’t want to happen. Probably not an intentional prayer, but our focus becomes our meditation, and our meditation becomes our prayer.
The enemy of our souls wants us stopped. We are the instruments of God for building His kingdom, and thus are a threat to the enemy who wants to destroy God’s kingdom. He loves it when we focus on the bad what-ifs, fearing the consequences of this thought, word, or deed to the point of remaining frozen. To that end, he points out all the bad things that could happen and we go right along with that.
The part of the bike path my friend walks is difficult for him, causing hip and back pain. Instead of aerobic exercise, it’s anaerobic. He’s not receiving the true benefits.
Let’s look at his thoughts:
What if I walk on the sidewalk?
• A car could come up on it and run me over kill me!
• I could breathe car exhaust and die!
• I could trip on a broken place and hurt myself!
• I could be hit by a car on one of the driveways and die!
Lots of fear of pain and death there, not to mention that all of those fit for the route he normally takes, too. Let’s try rethinking those worries:
What if I walk on the sidewalk?
• I could walk stronger and faster, making my heart rate work in the aerobic zone, moving me to better health.
• I could walk without the back and hip pain the hills on the bike path cause.
• I could enjoy the sunshine.
• I could have a stronger heart.
• My legs could get stronger.
• I could have more energy.
See? Eliminating the bad what-ifs allows clearer thinking, causing us to see the pros and cons with greater clarity, making the decision easier, based on the benefits, not fear.
Yes indeed, something bad could happen, but which course causes our mental and physical health to be better?
Believer, Jesus spoke these words across time to you. Just before these, He said to seek the kingdom of God foremost. It’s all about focus. Where is yours? Is it on God and His will for you or is it on the bad things that could happen if you follow Him?
I’m talking about worry, not counting the cost of discipleship.
If you deem the journey of following Jesus too costly, you can say no to Him.
There are consequences to that, too.
My friend, shed the shackles holding you. Step out of the prison of fear and worry into the sunshine of God’s love and grace. Breathe deeply of His purpose for you and move forward. Trust Him fully and let the only what-ifs you think about are the dreams of success in His kingdom He gives you.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
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Faye Bryant is an author, coach, and speaker who helps individuals escape the lies of the enemy, live into God’s truth, and build a better life by first feeling, dealing, and healing their way through a stuck future or an abused past, toward a deeper path of purpose, and into the unhackable life of their chosen legacy. Hers is a story of resurrection: from death to life!
