When one of my counselor coworkers shared a couple of weeks ago that he was in the middle of a “dry season,” I could relate because truthfully, I was there too. I was listening to some lies of the enemy and struggling in some areas of my faith. For me, the next thing that happens when I am in that dry season is that I start battling with worry. This is not a new struggle for me. I have let worry become a stronghold used by the enemy in several different seasons of my life. And I know that I am not the only one. When I am counseling with pastor’s wives, they often share with me what they are “worrying about”. The enemy is telling them lies too. Over the last 3 weeks, I have been meeting with a young teenager from my church who is 14 years old, and she is already consumed with worry and fear. The enemy starts using this tool on us at an early age.
Matthew 6:25-26;34 says:
“I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
We know that the root of worry is fear, and fear does not come from God. Worry comes from the enemy. John 8:44 clearly states that the devil is a liar. We, as believers, must keep calling out the lies that the enemy is speaking and replace them with the truths of God’s Word.
Worry starts with a tiny seed planted in our minds. At first, it might just be a fleeting thought. But if left unchecked, that seed can continue to grow into a more powerful negative thought and worry can then take root in our hearts. At the core of worry is our need to be in control. It took quite a while for me to really understand and accept that truth. We must surrender our need to be in charge. We need to trust that God is good and that His Heart for us is good. He desires to give us good gifts.
“Remember the miracles of long ago. Acknowledge that I am God, and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me. I declare from the beginning how it will end and foretell from the start what has not yet happened. I decree that my purpose will stand, and I will fulfill my every plan. “ Isaiah 46:9-10 TPT
If we spend too much time focusing on all the “what if’s”, the toxic thoughts will begin to seep in slowly and poison our hearts and minds.
How can we shift our mindset away from worry? I think the key is found in one of the most well-known Bible passages that speaks about worry and anxiety. Philippians 4:6-7 is one of my favorite scriptures and I love how it is worded in the Passion Translation.
“Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! And let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.”
I came up with an acrostic to help me remember some steps to work through worry:
W- the “W” in worry reminds me to WORSHIP my way out of fear and worry. We are called to worship God for who He is. “Zephaniah 3:17 reminds me that “The Lord our God in your midst…the Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over You with singing.” When I turn my attention to worshiping my God, the thoughts of worry flee.
O- the “O” in worry reminds me to OPEN my heart in OBEDIENCE to God. To seek His stillness and listen to His voice and follow His direction. In obedience, I will replace the lies of the enemy with God’s truth.
R- the first “R” reminds me to REST in God’s presence and RENEW my mind. To take a “sacred pause” and to REDIRECT my thoughts. Romans 12:2 says “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.”
R- the second “R” in worry reminds me to REFECT on and RECITE God’s goodness. If we don’t take the time to recite God’s goodness, we can tend to forget His faithfulness. We remember times in the Bible when God called them to gather and place stones as a memorial. One of those times was at the crossing of the Red Sea. God wanted to make sure that future generations would remember this miracle of God’s faithfulness.
Y- the “Y” in worry reminds me to stay YIELDED to God’s sovereignty. This involves recognizing that God has the ultimate control and that everything happens for His good purpose. We are to surrender our own desires and plans and trust His wisdom even when we don’t understand His ways.
We are all very familiar with the scripture Romans 8:28 that says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Most of us memorized that scripture as young children, however, we can sometimes struggle to really believe and apply that scripture to our situations and circumstances.
When I start struggling with fear and worry, I realize that it’s usually because I have allowed some distance to develop between me and the Lord. I need to draw closer to my Heavenly Father. My prayer today to help overcome worry in my life is Psalm 139: 23-24: “Search me God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
