From the Pastor

Here are a couple of real life situations:

• Arlene just said “Yes,” to Jason’s proposal, and now they are engaged. Lat-
  er that night as Jason lies in bed, he wonders how in the world will he be
  able to support her when he can barely live alone on what he makes.
• Randy is two hours late getting home from being out with his buddies. His parents are angry with him for not calling, but all they can think of is that he
  must have had car trouble, or worse, an accident.
• Christine is pregnant again. After losing the last baby during the second tri-
  mester, she can’t help but wonder if this new little child will ever have a chance to see this world.
  

What do these scenarios share in common? Worry.

Most of us are familiar with worry.

In Luke 12, Jesus speaks about worry. You probably remember part of this: God cares for the birds who neither plant, nor harvest food for themselves, yet they always have food aplenty. God drapes the lilies in more beauty than kings; surely you are more valuable to the Father than either of these! “Can all your worry add a single moment to your life? If worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” – Luke 12:25-26

In the next paragraph Jesus attaches the idea of worry as a sign of little faith. And yet worry is commonplace!

Has worry irritated you?

Worry is defined by Webster as “mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated.” In other words, worry is about things that have not happened. Worry is not really an emotion; it is a mental obsession.

It is natural to be worried or anxious when you face a tough situation or when you face an unpredictable resolution to a problem. In cases like this, worry causes us to replay possible outcomes over and over again in our minds. Most likely, the outcome we imagine is negative.

Being “concerned” can be positive when it moves you to action, such as seeing a doctor when we are sick or a going to a mechanic when the car is acting up. But worry is rarely tied to constructive action and is usually unproductive.

Worry rises to an unhealthy level and takes its toll when: 
•you’re not sleeping ...
•you’re not productive ...
•you’re worried about two or more topics the majority of the time ...
•you’re focusing on situations of worry more than the other business of life ... 
•or your life feels out of control.

Most professional counselors will tell you that fear is the opposite of faith, and worry is a symptom of fear. When we operate in fear or worry, we don’t have the faith that God has a plan for you in life.

Did you know that you have control over whether you worry or not? Some people are more inclined to worry than others. That isn’t a character flaw, it’s just a built-in reminder to pray and trust in the Lord.

Now, don’t let that last sentence slip by you so quickly. Let worry serve as a trigger to talk to God! It can be easy to say “Don’t worry,” but a lot harder to actually change your pattern of thinking. One approach is to set limits so that worry doesn’t rage out of control. Listed here are steps to follow to help change the way you think. If you’d like to discuss these more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

1. Start Each Day with God. Begin each day in alone time with God. Tell Him what concerns you have.
2. Pray about Your Worries. Bring your worrisome situation to God, ask for guidance, and expect to “hear” His counsel in the day.
3. Keep a Journal. As you talk to God, write down anything you feel He is telling you about your course of action.
4. Set Boundaries. To prevent worrying unrealistically about a situation, get facts and expert advice.
5. Think Differently. Give yourself permission to relax and make mistakes. We all make mistakes!
   
6. Seek Balance. The goal is to walk in peace and assurance by finding the balance of prayer action, and ultimately, freedom from worry.

​-Pastor Kevin