Worry Is Wearisome

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25

Worry is wearisome. It is fatigue to our emotions like physical pain is to our bodies. Worry can trigger stomachaches, high blood pressure, headaches, anxiety disorders and depression. It is an enemy to executing a joy filled and productive life. Worry can so weigh you down that you are immobilized for lack of energy and because of fear.

Your family tree may have borne the fruit of worry over generations, but you can purge out obsession with negative thinking through trust in the Lord. Jesus’ teaching is very clear, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34).

Exercised trust energizes the weary. Your personality may lend itself to worry. You can see it in your furrowed brow, or in your brooding countenance. You worry about the economy and its effect on your retirement. You wring your hands over the war and wonder when it will ever end. You are stressed out over work, because of situations and people you are unable to change. Anxiety may have paralyzed you as a parent, because you don’t feel qualified to carry out your responsibilities.

Alcohol has become your outlet for those things that you cannot control, but the gnawing fear is still there the next day. One simple solution is to make a two-column prayer list with the headings ‘Things I can’t change’ and ‘Things I can change’. Ask God for faith and patience with the former and wisdom and courage to act on the later. Prayer is your time-tested prescription for worry:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).”

Furthermore, look for those who long to be encouraged, who feel trapped by the anxieties of life (Luke 21:34). They need the truth of God’s word, because the cares of this world try to marginalize the truth. Truth can be forgotten in the fearful suffering of severe trials. Your kind words remind them of Christ’s care and concern for their health, their family and their faith.

Lift yourself and others out of the downward spiral of depression by cheering them up with truth. Read the Bible out loud with a friend and meditate on its promises that are filled with hope and encouragement. Use uncertainty as a reason not to worry, but rest in the Lord. You are freed up when you don’t fret, but apply faith instead. Above all else, His word wins over worry and gives strength for your faith journey!

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

What promise from the Lord can I rest in and trust to overcome my chronic worry?

Related Readings: Luke 1:37; 5:1; 11:28; Acts 13:7; Ephesians 6:17

Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey