As Christians, we know God tells us not to worry or fear. Are you making excuses for worry and fear? Learn how to stop today!
As humans, we all struggle in some capacity with worry and fear. As Christians, we know that God calls us not to worry, but to submit our worries to him (Philippians 4:6-7). Sometimes we dress up our worries and fears as something else. We excuse them and we come up with other things to name them. But the truth is that when we start to worry, we have to redirect ourselves to focus on God and trust him. How often though, do we neglect to do that?
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"I just couldn't turn my brain off." That's what I told my husband when he asked me why I had been up since the wee hours of the morning. And it was true. Once my brain started swirling with the things that had been piling up on my to-do list, I struggled to shut down my thoughts and go back to sleep. However, when it came down to it "I couldn't turn off my brain" was really code for "I'm worried I'm not going to get all of this done in time", and "I don't like that I'm not in full control of the situation".
It sounds a lot cuter to say "I can't turn off my brain", but calling worry another name doesn't suddenly make it less like worry.
Our family has had a lot of life changes in a short amount of time, and we continue to have change on the horizon. It makes sense that I have a lot on my mind and a lot to do. However, it's one thing to have a lot to do; it's another thing entirely to allow myself to become overwhelmed, consumed, stressed, and worried about my to-do list or the changes that are coming.
Here's the truth for you and for me: Being busy or having a lot on our plate doesn't have to become synonymous with worry and fear. The choice is ours!
So how do we stop making excuses for our worry and fear? Here are a few tips!
Stop Making Excuses for Worry and Fear
Focus on God's Word
I know, I know. It sounds like a Sunday school answer, but friends, when we are worried or afraid, the number one thing we can do to stop is to focus on God's word.
- What does God say about who he is?
- How does God's character comfort us as we deal with whatever we are dealing with?
- What does the Bible tell us to focus on?
- What are the most important things?
- How has God equipped us to face our challenges?
- What does God say about our worry and fear?
Related: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself While Reading the Bible
Remember That God is in Control
We know that God is in control, and yet sometimes we forget to connect our theology to our everyday life, don't we? Trusting that God is in control and seeking God's word to better understand what that really means in an integral part of stopping ourselves from worrying or fearing.
Believing in God's sovereignty and control requires trust on our part. But if we know Jesus then we know He is trustworthy. When we are tempted to make excuses for worrying, we must remember this.
Hope in the Lord, Not Circumstances
When our situation looks bleak, Jesus is our hope. When we can't get it all done in time, Jesus is our hope. When we have to decide which bills get paid and which ones don't, Jesus is our hope. When the doctor has bad news, Jesus is our hope.
Knowing what the Bible says about hope is extremely important for stopping the cycle of worry.
We make excuses for our worry and fear when we are misplacing our hope. When we think our hope comes from anything other than God, we are tempted to justify our worry. Remembering where our hope comes from will help us reject worry and lean on God in all circumstances.
Remember that God is Near
Sometimes we feel alone in our worry, fear, and stress. It's easy to convince ourselves that we are on an island by ourselves, but as Christians, our promise is that God is always with us.
Where is God in our hardship? Where is God when we hurt? Where is God when we feel overwhelmed, cheated, and at our wits end?
The answer is always the same: He is here. He is with us.
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