Worry is a twisted form of control.
Confession time: I worry. A lot.
For those that have full-time jobs outside of the home, it seems as if the phone calls never stop. The “In Box” is never empty, the “Out Box” never gets full. There is always more filing to do, there’s always another report, another job to do, another project to finish. Another meeting, another phone call, another client. We feel we need to control all the things, deep down we know we can’t, so we worry. Worry is a twisted form of control.
For those that have full-time jobs inside the home, it seems like the laundry is always piled up waiting…to be washed, to be folded, and to be put away. The kids are always hungry and bored. Around the house, the floors always need to be swept, vacuumed, or mopped. There’s homework, cooking, cleaning, and baths. We feel we need to control all the things, deep down we know we can’t, so we worry. Worry is a twisted form of control.
(And for those of you that do both, well, just know that I’m praying for you!)
Then there’s more worry.
We worry about whether we’re doing a good job, about the bills, about the appliances breaking down. Don’t forget about the kids. How about the car falling apart. There’s concern over our health. What if I don’t eat right? Or exercise enough? Am I being nice? What about doing the right thing?
Because when we get overwhelmed with life, we feel like life has hit us with a 2-ton truck full of bricks. The lists get longer, the problems get bigger. But the worry? The worry grows until you feel that you can’t take another step. Some can’t focus, some have trouble getting out of bed, some have trouble going to sleep, and some have trouble staying asleep. There are some worries we don’t want to voice. Some we don’t want to think about. Others we can’t and won’t think about.
However, God told us how to handle it all. You can read it in Philippians 4:6. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers.” (LWT)
There’s more to the command, though, there’s a promise, too, in verse 7. “If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” (LWT)
Unexplainable Peace
Wow! Think about that. Peace. Peace far more wonderful than the human mind can understand; not earthly peace, Heavenly peace. A peace like you’ve never known. Beautiful peace that is ours for the taking. If you’re willing to give up the worry.
That’s hard for me. I have trouble letting go of that worry, I’ve come to think of it as my security blanket. If I can worry enough, nothing bad will happen. When I can worry about the right things, then the wrong things can’t happen. However, when I have those thoughts, I can’t do anything else. I’m frozen with that worry. Then, it becomes fear. And that fear stops me dead in my tracks. I’ve sacrificed my peace for a control that isn’t control at all, it’s torture.
It doesn’t happen overnight
So, over time, I have come to recognize when that fear and worry take over my life. When I do, I stop and I pray about it. I tell God about my fear, I tell Him what I’m thinking about and why I’m worrying. I sacrifice that control. I’ve learned, over time, how to let Him have those things. And you know what? He does take care of everything.
Now, notice I said over time. This hasn’t happened overnight. This has taken practice. I have to confess, too, that it’s not always easy. Sacrificing that worry, that control. It’s a hard sacrifice, one of the hardest, because I love control. Worry is a twisted form of control. But worry is also a choice. So is peace. And it is wonderful.
Besides, one day, when this is all over, I’ll smile, and remember that my God is bigger than anything I can ever throw at Him.
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