Trust vs Worry: 4 Practical Ways to Rid Yourself of Worry
Why do we worry so much? Honestly, I worry about the craziest things sometimes. I worry about my relationships, my safety, my finances, what to make for dinner… I seriously don’t know why I devote so much of my time and attention to worry. Well… maybe I do know. Worry is simply a lack of trust.
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There are certain things my children never worry about. They never worry if they’ll have food to eat for breakfast or if they will have clothes to wear tomorrow. They never worry about finances or getting good grades in school. At 3 and 5 years old, they have no idea what it’s like to worry about these things. Why? Because they trust. They fully trust that mommy and daddy will take care of them. And if they experience sadness or they fall and hurt themselves? We are there to pick them up and nurture them back to health, both physically and emotionally.
As adults, we worry much more than our children. We suddenly have responsibilities. We have bills to pay and mouths to feed. After experiencing heartache and brokenness of our own, we learn that sometimes people can’t be trusted. We’ve been let down, and we ourselves have let others down as well. So needless to say, there’s much more to worry about.
“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:28-34
What if we really had the faith of a child? What if we trusted God with everything in our lives the way our children trust us? He is our heavenly Father after all. And unlike human beings, He is incapable of failing us. He will never ever let us down. Our Father can be trusted in a way that no human being can be trusted.
So what does this all have to do with renewing your mind? If you’re anything like me, worry has a way of consuming your thought life. And when your thoughts are consumed with worry, they can’t be consumed with anything else. Jesus told us in Matthew 6 to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” And it’s impossible for His Kingdom to consume your thoughts when you’re worried!
The solution to worry is simple: learn to trust.
Say it out loud. “God, I trust You. I trust you with my life, my career, my family, my finances… everything. God, I trust You with everything.”
Dive into the Scriptures. Remind yourselves of God’s faithfulness throughout time – the times He took care of His children even when things looked grim.
Keep a prayer journal. Writing down your prayers gives you a reference point. As you look back at your prayers, you’ll be able to see God at work. You’ll be reminded that He always has your best interest at heart.
Declare His promises. God is faithful. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Remind yourselves of this truth each and every day. God can indeed be trusted – with the big stuff and the small stuff. He cares about it all.
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? – Psalm 56:3-4
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*Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
**Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash
