Worry is a Joy sapper!

Scripture:

Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. (7) Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

Observation:

Imagine never worrying about anything! It seems like an impossibility; we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul's advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.

Application:

When worry comes knocking at your door, stop it on the porch, otherwise it'll move in and take up residence. The Word of God says that we can, "Throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are His personal concern" (1 Peter 5:7).

Isn't that wonderful; God really does care, about the things that worry you and prey on your thoughts. He cares about them more than you do. Not a single nagging, aching, worrisome, gut-wrenching, blood-pressure-raising thought escapes His notice. Because you are His personal concern, you never disappear from His screen.

Worry is like a rocking chair; it uses up all your energy, but where does it get you? Leo Buscaglia writes, "Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy."

Dr Charles Mayo of the famous Mayo Clinic says, "There's a growing mountain of evidence to suggest that worry is the chief contributor to depression, nervous breakdowns, high blood pressure, heart attacks and early death. Stress kills. I've never known a man to die from hard work, but I've known a lot who died from worry."

Author Bob Gass says, "Mathematically speaking, it doesn't make sense to worry. Psychologists tell us that roughly 30 percent of what we worry about never happens; another 30 percent has already happened; 12 percent is about unfounded health concerns, and an additional 20 percent involves 'sweating the small stuff'. That leaves only 8 percent. Think about that! We worry 92 percent of the time for no good reason at all, and if Dr Mayo is right, it's killing us."

What qualifies as a worry? Anything that drains your tank of joy… anything you can't change… anything you're not responsible for… anything you're unable to control… anything that frightens and torments you… anything that keeps you awake when you should be asleep. All of that 'stuff' needs to be transformed from your worry list to your prayer list!

What's the answer? "Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected… and the God who gives peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:1-8). That's God's answer to worry!

Give each worry, one-by-one, to God! The more you practice doing this, the more exciting your walk with Him will become. You'll be amazed at how easily He handles things that overwhelm you. Always keep these three things in mind: (1) He's able to handle it. (2) He's willing to handle it. (3) He's waiting for you to give it to Him.

Prayer:

"Lord, I have a tendency to worry about things that I know You have covered. I give it to in prayer, but then take it back so I can worry some more. Worry saps so much of the Joy that You want to give to Your people. It hinders peace, it attacks faith. It raises blood pressure. And it really doesn't change a thing, it only makes it worse in our minds. So today, I am turning my worry list into a prayer list. In Jesus name, amen!"