Crush It: Worry

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:34
A life free of worry is something we all contend for, but it’s easier said than done when we are faced with unfinished work and unresolved situations on a daily basis. Whether we’re wearing an outfit that’s out of our comfort zone or we are deciding where to go to college, there will always be a situation where we can choose to worry or choose to trust God.
And that’s the thing about worry -- it’s a choice. A choice to give power to the troubles of life or give power to the one who is going to use those troubles for good. A choice to let anxiety become an idol or let God be first in life. A choice that is easily explained but not easily made. When we are confronted with a situation that we don’t know the outcome of, we desperately assess how it may go, what we may say, etc. It becomes an obsession, a constant presence looming over our hearts. More often than not, worry seems entirely unavoidable.
So how is it possible to avoid worry in the first place? And how can we “crush it” after it starts? For me, the answer lies in knowing who God is and how much he really loves us. We are his children, whom he found worthy of creating and to whom he extends his unending grace. His love for us is unfathomable! What, then, is the purpose of worry? If our God is the creator of all things, how dare we worry about anything? We know that he has our best interests at heart, and when have we not found deliverance in the past?
Imagine you’re attending a play. You’ve been waiting for the curtains to open for a while, and you’re starting to wonder whether or not the show will go on. Of course, nothing has been said about the play being cancelled, but it’s a thought that you allow to enter your mind. After waiting for what felt like forever, the curtains open to reveal the set. It’s beautiful. More than you ever expected. And you realize that had the cast not spent as much time as they did on the set, the entire play would be different.
This is how worry works. We may see only the curtains, or the situation. But we have to realize that God is working behind the scenes to make something for you that you never expected nor imagined. No matter how bad it is, God always prevails.
Of course, trusting God is difficult. When you can only see the curtains and all you can hear is the murmuring of the crowd, it’s hard to have faith. Personally, I find my faith when I fall to my knees. I always seem to find God in this type of surrender. For example, I recently went through a situation where I found out that some girls were talking about how much they disliked me; something that would normally crush my spirit and fill me with worry. However, I got on my knees and was real with God. I told him how it felt. I told him how much I wanted to forgive them and move on. I told him that I didn’t want a seed of resentment to enter my heart. I asked him to take this situation from me and to show me deliverance.
I walked away from that time with God without any worry about the situation or unforgiveness in my heart. God wants to take your burden, all you have to do is give it to him. God is putting the finishing touches on the set that is your life/situation. He is resolving the unresolved and the unresolvable. The curtains are about to be pulled back! Ask him to take your worry, and he will. He has your best interests at heart and his love for you is so great that we can’t even fathom it!
​“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7

Written By: Chloe