Worry—feeling uneasy or troubled—seems to plague multitudes of people in our world today. It’s human nature to be concerned about the bad situations in our world and in our personal lives, but if we’re not careful, the devil will cause us to worry beyond what’s reasonable.
Like a rocking chair, worry is always in motion but it never gets you anywhere. So why do we struggle with it? And what good does it do?
Worry is the opposite of faith. It steals our peace, physically wears us out and can even make us sick. When we worry, we torment ourselves—we’re doing the devil’s job for him!
Worry is caused by not trusting God to take care of the various situations in our lives. Too often we trust our own abilities, believing that we can figure out how to take care of our own problems. And yet, after all our worry and effort to go it alone, we come up short—unable to bring about suitable solutions.
At a young age, I discovered firsthand that people hurt people, so I didn’t trust others. I tried to take care of myself, refusing to depend on anyone who would hurt or disappoint me.
Too often our experiences in the world teach us this and even after we become Christians, it takes a long time to overcome it. It’s difficult to learn how to trust God but we eventually must learn that trying to take care of everything ourselves is too big a task.
Cast Your Cares on the One Who Cares for You
First Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” If Jesus invites us to cast all of our care and worry on Him, why do so many of us refuse to let go? Apparently, we’re not yet fed up with being miserable.
The only way to have victory in our lives is to play by God’s rules and He says we must quit worrying if we want to have peace. So when things come our way that cause us to be concerned, we need God’s help.
But how do we get it? First Peter 5:6-7 lists two important steps: 1) humble yourselves; and 2) cast your anxiety—or cares—on Him.
All of us would be better off if we’d learn to lean on God and ask for His help. But as long as we try to do everything ourselves, God will let us. He won’t take care of our problems and worries—our anxieties—until we let go of them and give them to Him.
Now, casting your care doesn’t mean you can be irresponsible. God won’t do for you what you can do yourself. You must do what you can do and then trust God to do what you can’t. When we humble ourselves and ask for His help, then He will work in us and in our situations. It’s only then that we can really enjoy life.
So the cure for worry is humbling ourselves before God, casting our cares on Him and trusting Him. When we are able to believe and say, “God, I trust You,” it will literally change our lives.
Trade Your Worry for an Attitude of Faith
I’ve learned that my attitude has a lot to do with living a worry-free life. There will always be situations that cause us concern but with God’s help, we can live above all of it and enjoy life. However, when you give your problems to God, you must also decide to be satisfied with His answers—you must choose to trust Him.
Remember 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” You can trust God to do what’s best for you so you don’t have to worry about it. When you have a positive attitude and keep your faith in God, you can’t be defeated.
Together, faith and the Word of God will help you overcome worry. Worrying involves negative thoughts but speaking positive things out of your mouth will interrupt those negative thought patterns. When we are full of the Word of God, we can speak it out of our mouths in faith.
Faith is stronger than doubt, negativism and unbelief. It has a positive attitude that can overcome our pasts and lead us into a great future. Faith is a powerful force that cannot be conquered.
I want to encourage you to spend time studying God’s Word, looking up scriptures that remind you of His love for you and His faithfulness to never leave you or forsake you. A few good ones to start with are Psalm 103, Lamentations 3:22-23 and Hebrews 13:5.
As you spend time with God in prayer and meditating on scriptures (thinking about them, rolling them over and over in your mind), you’ll find greater peace in His presence. You’ll become more focused on God and His promises, and you’ll enjoy freedom from worry!
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s five-teaching CD series The Cause and Cure for Worry. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries. {eoa}
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 135 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Authentically, Uniquely You (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
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