Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the sin of worry. It’s a thing I think about because there are people in my life who I care a great deal about who are paralyzed by worry. Yea, I worry at times but I struggle with other lovely sins like being critical or judgmental more than I do worry.
Through this walk the Lord has led me down I’ve learned to live in a place of trust. I trust my Father has my best interests at heart. I trust that He is good, that He loves me. There are things that grow and stretch my faith yet my souls truly rests in knowing He has me safe and protected in the palm of his hand.
I’m also learning about and have been thinking about having a heart of thankfulness. I’ve concluded that out of a thankful heart can come nothing but gratitude, peace and love. When my spirit turns critical it is often because of my ungrateful heart. Whining and complaining? The same ungrateful heart.
A question I’ve been pondering lately as I am choosing a grateful heart is this…."Do I know anyone who has chosen to heal from a spirit of worry?" The answer has been no and that makes me sad. I wish that anyone who reads this and battles with worry or obsession would know just one moment of the Father’s peace. My prayer is that worried hearts would understand the huge amount of love and the peace He has to offer. I pray each one would uncover where Satan came to them and offered up worry as a solution for all life throws at us. I pray for rest.
And I pray for my own choice to heal from a critical spirit.
"Lord, change me"
julie
ps…be sure to read MY COMMENTS….. some good thoughts there
If ever there has been a person healed from the sin of worry, it would be him! I can so remember how stressed out he used to stay all the time, but God has truly changed him. I am soooo thankful. :o)
Thanks for coming by my blog! I am going to add you as a friend… I like your posts! I LOVE NCIS! I have not started watching this current season since I am on disc 3 of last season. Several of those I actually have already seen because they were on the CBS website as full episodes. I am hoping we can catch up and then start watching like normal people… but then I wonder… what will I watch all summer?! 🙂
Your post made me stop and think. I do worry a LOT and I also pray a lot for God to take over the situation causing me worry. Sometimes I wonder, am I "worrying" or am I working through possible solutions in my head. Is that just a change in terminology to mean the same thing? Like with our recent housing woes… I wonder where we will be next month. I wonder if God is going to keep us in this tiny stinky apartment for a while longer, or if somehow it will work out for us to move sooner. I wonder if we will be called into a full time ministry some day or, or, or, or…. I think sometimes yes, I worry, but other times I think maybe I am imagining possibilities. The difference may be just in the attitude you have towards those thoughts. Yesterday when my husband decided we were not going to rent that house I thought was perfect, I was not worried… I was depressed and sad. It was another "happy thought" that has been crushed over the past few months. I was not upset with God for the outcome, I was sad because I had to let go of those ideas I had for how things were going to be.
Anyway, lest this post become a small novel.. I will sign out now! Thanks again!
Chrissy
…about the names we substitute for worry
Here's Ole Websters take on it as a noun "an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble"
So here are a few words we substitute
bother, fear, fret, stew, sweat, trouble, agonize; long, pine, yearn; chafe; despair, misplaced concern,
I truly feel that most of what people worry about never comes to pass. When we go down that path the possibilities are so endless that one little change and the entire path looks different. So why go there I ask myself?
Love my Babies wondered if just thinking on all the possibilities constitutes worry. My answer would be if there is peace in the pondering, if there is hope in the possibilities then no. If you think on just how big God is going to reveal himself or show himself then no. But if there is unrest or doubt or the undisclosed sin of "trying to figure it all out" (or playing God as we call it around here) then YES, it's worry.
Julie
is to look at the antonyms:
calm, calmness, content, contentment, ease, peace, placidity, quiet, quietude, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility); comfort, consolation, relief, solace
I think you are right with your definitions and how to tell the difference. I have made myself PHYSICALLY ill the past two days with worry over what is going to happen. Sometimes I just wish God would send me an email. Dear Chrissy, Go ahead and start packing… I have someplace in mind for you to move into by the end of the month. Love, Abba.
Or even a different answer, LOL! It is hard not knowing what is in store in the next days, weeks or months. Over the past two years we have gone through my husband losing his job, moving across the country, not selling our house, a horrible tenant who caused $4000 in damages to our house, trying to find a new trustworthy tenant at the worst time of the year and afford to do the repairs while paying double house notes, struggling to understand why the 6 of us are living in an 800 sq ft apartment when this evil woman was able to destroy my nice, beautiful home; the up's and down's of having 3 contracts on houses that were cancelled for some reason or another, an ice storm at our house in Missouri that caused lots of damage, trying to get to know a new area, feeling disconnected from my family since they are so far away, wishing I could be closer to help my aging grandmother, and the death of the dream to adopt more children. Its been a hard 2 years. I am ready for it to be over, but I suppose worrying about it is not making matters any easier. Its just easier said than done to say "just dont worry about it!" like so many people have said. I have prayed so many nights and days that the Lord would just give me peace about this whole thing and then my mind just swirls around wondering what it is that the Lord is trying to teach us through this storm. Is all of this to test our marriage? It certainly has. Is all of this to teach us humility? Check. We have not been able to have anyone over for dinner or fellowship in a year now. Is it to teach us what to value? We have learned that no matter where we live the important thing is to be together. Is it to teach us contentedness? Maybe that is it after all. We are so crowded and it is really hard to be happy in this environment.
Anyway… I am getting depressed again… so I am going to end this letter here. I understand what you are saying and I hope you know I am not arguing with you on your point, just talking through why I am feeling the way I am right now.
Hello my old friend! I am back…and I am not silent 🙂 Looking forward to resuming a chat with you. Thanks for the worry post ~ I needed that 🙂
Thank you so much, Julie, for that wonderfully written, eloquent message you left on my blog. You are right… those scriptures really do help make me feel better and I really do need to just stop *thinking* about things so much and just let God handle it.
Thanks again…
Chrissy