What To Do When You Are Worried
Do you worry? Is there something troubling you? God does not want worry in your life. He has the perfect antidote for worry. Here’s how to exchange your worry for His peace.
Do you know someone that is a worrier? Maybe you are! I’m somewhere in the middle of the road. I don’t worry much except when I feel there is a real danger or problem that is far beyond my fixing. For many people, worry is just a very bad habit. It can be a “default setting” in life! I’m sure you know that worry is a useless and very negative reaction to any situation! Worry never changes anything for good, it turns our emotions on end and cannot solve any problem.
What God Says About Worrying
Let’s look at what God says about worry and how to handle it!
DON’T BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD.
AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND IN CHRIST JESUS. Philippians 4:6,7
Sounds so easy, doesn’t it! It is often hard to turn off our worry switch! But, if we do what God commands us to do when we worry we will be a whole lot better off!
Most of the time I need to obey God in spite of how I am feeling! Feelings, especially when things are troubling us, can be deceptive and destructive and lead us into more things to worry about! Worry is a deep, dark pit we dig ourselves deeper and deeper into.
Jesus makes the point of the uselessness of worrying…
CAN ANY OF YOU BY WORRYING ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO YOUR LIFE? Matthew 6:27
Worrying is the wrong way to react, live, and handle things that trouble us! Let’s just admit it and start there! God knows exactly what worry is and how it affects us, and that is why He tells us not to worry. It’s not good for us!
So, how do we stop?
Let’s break down Philippians 4:6-7 (above) and examine how God instructs us to manage worry.
A Closer Look At Philippians 4
Let’s take a deeper dive into God’s instructions about worrying to find freeing truths we can live by.
Philippians 4:6 starts out with a command…
DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING.
I love the Greek meaning in this verse. It gives us a genuine, honest, God-perspective look at worry. The word “anxious” means distracted, drawn in opposite directions. It means to be pulled apart in opposite directions by the force of sinful anxiety, which is worry!
The word anything is really the word nothing. And the Greek word is very very emphatic… not one, nothing, not a possibility, not even one!
Can you begin to see what God is saying about worry? He is commanding us not to worry about a single thing! He’s got this. He’s taking care of your problem and you.
Sometimes, just reminding ourselves not to worry can really go a long way in stopping this negative behavior.
Now that we know God does not want us to worry, we need to ask ourselves what we should do when we are troubled. Psychologists say that to really break a bad habit, we need to replace it with a positive behavior. And that is exactly what God tells us to do.
BUT IN EVERYTHING…
The word everything is a very, very interesting Greek word. It means the whole, total, every part, every kind, all.
It is a word that looks at the individual parts of the whole situation. God says IN EVERYTHING, that is every little, bitty part. He is talking about every aspect of every circumstance.
Now let’s skip ahead in the verse to find what everything God is talking about.
IN EVERYTHING MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN TO GOD.
So, every little bitty part of what you are worrying about should be taken to God. Tell Him everything!
The words KNOWN TO GOD are to declare something. God wants us to know and declare that we need His help. He wants us to come to the only Sovereign One that can actually do something about our troubles. We need to exchange our worry for talking it through with our Father!
Prayer, Supplication, And Thanksgiving
God wants you to talk to Him in a very special way. In a way that takes the focus off of our worries and gives our attention to God and who He is! God wants us to come to Him in PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION AND WITH THANKSGIVING.
PRAYER is earnestly, truthfully, and reverently talking to God. That’s it! SUPPLICATION is the idea of being in need and coming to someone with a heartfelt petition rising out of a deep, personal need. I think that wording is so spot on!!!!
God knows us, and He knows that we worry. He knows we have deep needs, and he knows our most profound ones. He wants us to talk them over with Him. Ask Him what to do. He wants us to come freely to Him with THANKSGIVING. He wants us to recognize that He is there with overflowing grace. He wants us to know that we have unmerited favor from Him, and because of that favor, no matter the circumstances, we are more than blessed and should be thankful!
When we consider our eternal well-being and weigh it against our worries, how can we not be grateful? And a grateful heart will trust God!
It’s important to know that God is not a Genie that grants wishes. Or if we do things His way, we will get what we want. God is Sovereign, Eternal, and Perfect. He will do what is good for us, even if it is not what we want.
What God promises when we come to Him is so much bigger and amazing than getting our own way!
God promises to give us PEACE. AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING…
God’s Peace
The word PEACE is one of my very favorite God words! God’s peace carries with it the idea of all the loose ends being tied up. Just the opposite of the Greek definition of worry above!
The true meaning of PEACE is wholeness. Wholeness in every aspect. Everything that is you and about you is whole, good, and perfect! What a big promise!!! What a tall order for God to fill! But He is more than up to the task!
If you really go to God with your troubles and tell Him earnestly about them and pour out your deep need and really think about how God has shown you grace and give Him thanks, then He will give you peace about your trouble that will SURPASS ALL UNDERSTANDING. God will give you a Shalom that is so far above and beyond any human intellect to comprehend or understand!
Believe this. It is true. I have been the recipient of this peace many times.
Guarding Your Heart
This above-and-beyond wholeness will GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND.
Now this is an amazing thought. The word GUARD means to keep a military or sentinel guard. God’s PEACE will actively do whatever it takes, both offensively and defensively, to protect your mind, will, emotion, and intellect. In other words, your heart.
God’s peace will protect you from worry, negative thoughts, and the bad habit of allowing worry to take a stronghold in your life. Just keep on with PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING!
In Jesus Christ
The last part of these verses is by far my favorite. The verse says. IN CHRIST JESUS.
The word in is such a little word, but it has a deep, rich, and beautiful meaning. What in really means is in a relationship with.
Oh, the blessedness of the thought that we could be in an intimate, eternal, and close relationship with the very God of the Universe! It is far too much for me to wrap my head around. But it is true.
God wants all of us to be in a relationship with His only Son. And if we are in a relationship with His Son, then we are also in a relationship with God Himself.
Peace from worry is offered to all those who claim and believe that Jesus is their Lord (Owner and Creator) and Savior (the only One to save us from our sin, which separates us from God) !!!
What a gift. Use it! Let’s be free from the worry that causes us so much wasted time and energy.
God’s PEACE, like a military sentinel, guards our hearts and minds against worry.
So the next time you begin to worry, talk to God. Tell him every part of your deepest thoughts and troubles. Thank Him for His grace and peace. Thank Him that He will work everything out for His glory and your good. Trust Him and accept His all-encompassing peace. And go about your life in the peace of God.
Philippians 4: 6- 7
DON’T BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE KNOWN TO GOD.
AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND IN CHRIST JESUS. Philippians 4:6,7
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Have a blessed Sunday, friends…
This was beautiful. I’ve had alot to be anxious about these days with my husband’s help and this makes me feel a lot better. Thank you!
God bless you Fay!
Love this. I’m keeping this on my phone and printing it too. Great guidance. I’ve read the verse many times but you spelling it out touched me. Thank you.
Thank you Yvonne for also breaking down this verse. I think I was a born worrier… always putting everyone and everything else before me. I have printed todays post and will include it daily in my time of prayer.
I am also juggling with preparing our home to market, continuing to look for that perfect new downsized home and struggling with a few health setbacks. I had a Pacemaker put in two weeks ago and with that comes limitations on lifting, etc for a while. Every day I try to remind myself it’s all in God’s hands. Todays post could not of been more perfectly timed.
I’m sure this post was with you in mind! I’m praying for you June.
Thanks Yvonne. It’s been a journey.
I’ve had this posted on my makeup dresser for years but your Greek meanings and going deeper makes it much more meaningful. Thank you for sharing. I love these Sunday readings to start my week..
I’m so glad you found this helpful. God bless you.
Thank you Yvonne so much for this post! I find that as I age I do worry so much! We are getting ready to move to a new home and I am so anxious about trying to get things packed and all that goes along with a move at our time in life as we are seniors. I do pray to God all the time with my concerns and again worry that I am asking too much of Him with all my requests and prayers. This post is reminder that He wants me to do just that and bring my burdens to Him and He will help me through and provide me peace. God Bless you. I needed to be reminded of God’s love and concern for me.
You can never out ask God. He want to hear everything you ask and tell Him!
Thank you, Yvonne. I tend to worry; especially about my loved ones. I will keep your good Sunday message in mind, and use your suggestions, as well.
God bless you. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Sandi
Prayer helps our loved ones much more than our worry!
You are so right. I do pray often each day. And I am working on giving my worries to God.
You leave the sweetest messages. When I have time, I love to see what you have to say.
How sweet, Joyce!
God bless you Yvonne. Not only do you share your lovely home with us but also scripture. I am a worrier and know how this grieves God. I will keep this message read it often.
Thank you.
God bless you Debbie
Thank you, Yvonne, for this lovely and inspiring message. I am working on my own Peace. I know it is there. I just have to make my way to it I read your messages weekly. I WILL join you in memorizing Philippians 4: 6,7 Such a beautiful verse.
Thank you for this posting. I appreciate it.
This has sort of been where I have been for the last few years–since my mother’s passing.
Being the eldest of 7 siblings I STILL feel responsible for them. We all have our own lives and families but it is something that has been ingrained in me for years.
Worry does not help anything but it is something that is in each of us.
I have worry and anxiety all the time.I pray daily for help,guidance and peace.Thank you for your post.
Thank you Yvonne! We received some upsetting health news about my husband this week and this post will help with my anxious heart. If we put our trust in God he will show us the way. Have a blessed day!
Oh, Beth! I am so sorry. I’ll be praying for you and your husband.
Just what I needed to read
Thanks
So very true. When we lay the burden of worry at the foot of the cross our load is infinitely lighter and we can shift our gaze to God. I found Max Lucado’s Traveling Light to be a great read on this.
Thanks for suggesting Max Lucado’s book.
Thanks, Yvonne, for your wonderful post today. I, too, am a worrier but have been trying to give my worries to Him because He knows all about everything. To worry is not good as it only makes us feel down. How we need to just talk to Him in prayer about all our concerns. He will give us the peace we need!
You are so right, Mary Ann!
Thank you!
THAT was EXCELLENT Yavonne! Thank you!
There is a fine line between worry and concern. Concern is healthy. Worry…Not healthy.
I had this on my refrigerator for decades….
Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its strength. Turn worry into prayer.
Very good reminder. Thank you.
Yvonne,
I have followed you for years, I love your blog and style, but I especially love your Sunday’s teachings and insights. They are so very inspirational and easy understanding of the Word. I took notes when you moved and how you prayed, stepped through doors, prayed, got cold feet, prayed….. and those words have really helped as I have wanted to move for 6 years now to be closer to my daughter and family. But also knowing I wanted it to be God’s will for us and now he is opening doors and bringing people in our lives to make this dream come true. Of course, the anxiousness and excitement is there also, so this post was very much a good reminder. Again I am thankful that the Lord uses your platform to share his word. Thank you for being so obedient in using your gifts.
Love and Blessings, Sister in Christ,
Joanie
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Moving and downsizing is often difficult. I love our life and have no regrets about moving! Hope you can feel that too.