“Worrying is praying for what you don’t want.”

How much of your day do you spend worrying?

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:34, NIV)

Over the past couple of years I (Jerry) have been spending quite a bit of time learning about how our mind works, the power of our thoughts, the importance of focus, and various and sundry related ideas. I found myself fascinated with the notion that while the one thing we have been given the power to control is our thoughts (see the command in Phil 4:8 for just one example), that is also the one thing that most of us just leave to seemingly random chance.

That’s kind of like choosing to walk when you have just been given a brand new Ferrari…or choosing to row when your boat when it has a perfectly good motor.

The above quote about worrying being a form of prayer seems almost sacrilegious, until you link it with the easily observable phenomenon that what we focus on seems to expand, grow stronger, come closer, etc.

Should it be any surprise that a good God, Who loves us unconditionally, would admonish us to “Do not be anxious about anything?” Could it be that He is not only reminding us that it is a colossal waste of time, but that it actually produces the undesired effect? Hmmm…I don’t remember reading that in the owner’s manual anywhere, do you?

This is a very interesting realization to be coming from a recovering “worry-wart.” I actually found myself worried because I couldn’t find the source of the quote I used. But, I’ve come a long way. As Andrew Wommack so quaintly says, “I haven’t arrived yet, but I’ve left.” How about you?

Prayer Power
Lord please help us all understand at the heart-level that You really don’t want us to worry about anything. Help us to see that even in this high-stress world that we live in that Your command to not worry is no less significant or less doable than it was when Paul penned those famous words. Show us that we really can be the master of our own thoughts.

Link of the Day
Problem of Worry

Blessings as you purpose to become more and more aware of what you are thinking about.

Photo by JustUptown

“Worry a little bit every day and, in a lifetime, you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”  Mary Hemingway

What is it in your life that causes you the most worry?

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  (Phil. 4:6; NLT)

The following message is one that particularly spoke to me as I read it yesterday.  I would rather have sent it as a Internet link rather than just copy it here, but the way it came to me made that impossible.  I feel that the message is far too significant and timely to not share with you.  Please note that the author of what follows is Ken Keis, President of Consulting Resource Group.

Research reveals over 90% of the things we worry about never happen.  Studies show that people who worry a lot are generally less effective than those who don’t; they get less work done and are often less happy.  And worriers are slower to respond than nonworriers–presumably because worrying burns off mental energy that would be more effectively applied elsewhere.  According to Gary Marcus, Professor of Psychology at New York University, a recent laboratory study at Yale and Pennsylvania State University found the mere opportunity to worry for 5 minutes is enough to bring down a person’s mood.

Worry is costing all of us something.  Everyone worries, but most worry is about some negative possibility in the future, not right now.

• What will happen if I lose my job?

• Will my partner ever really love me?

Such questions are worthy of consideration but are not the sort of thing that can be solved by worry.

What we need to do is relax and think clearly, but our mindset and society often lead us in the opposite direction.  Worry can breed anxiety, paralysis, and depression, rather than creative solutions.  The word worry comes from a Middle English word wyrgan–to strangle. And that’s what worries often do; they seize us by the throat until we can’t think about anything else. When worry takes on a life of its own, it becomes a huge and often pointless drain on our time and energy.

Worse, chronic worry may take a toll on our hearts. Last year a study from Cambridge University linked the banking crises to an increased number of heart attacks, perhaps because chronic worry and stress can lead people to drink more, smoke, eat too much, and get less exercise.  According to Dr. Robert L. Leahy, all this worry can affect your physical as well as your mental health. Worriers tend to be over-utilizers of the health care system, meaning they see their doctor for just about every ache and pain.  Worriers are more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, fatigue, and aches and pains.  In addition, 93% of people with generalized anxiety disorder also have an overlapping psychiatric disorder such as depression.

Does worry increase your bank account, get you a new job, improve your relationships, or make you feel better?  The answer is No, No, and No.  In fact, the opposite occurs–what you are worrying about is actually attracted into your life.  If you are worried about getting cancer, you are able to fulfill this worry with the real disease.  Who wants that?!

Focusing on what we want produces feel-better hormones and conditions in our body.  In the end, we are all personally responsible for our own thoughts and our emotional state.  We have the choice to look at things negatively with worry or positively in anticipation of preferred results.  For example, instead of worrying about our kids getting involved with drugs or gangs, we can focus on their being engaged, happy individuals, doing what they love.

Prayer Power
Father, we are reminded of how many times Your Word tells us “worry not” or “do not worry.”  Yet many of us seem to spend major portions of our day doing just that.  Grant us the grace to rise above that destructive habit and truly live worry free.

Link of the Day
Just Say No to Worry!

Blessings on you as you choose to have a worry-free weekend.