Week 56: Don't Worry! - Today's Trouble is Enough for Today

“All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.” (Osward Chambers)

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of faith is the end of anxiety.” (George Muller)

Worry is a natural part of life, in a small dose it’s helpful, like my friend Rayneld worried about his wife and her well-being, like my mother worried about my brother when he doesn’t went back home late at night, etc. But too much worry of it can distract and paralyze you. It crowds out the good in your life and keeps you focused on your problems, which only makes them seem worse. It’s like giving a steroid to your mini minny problems that if you examine at it closely, most of the time it never happen. An old man was asked what had robbed him of joy the most of his lifetime. He replied, “Things that never happened.” I heard someone say it best; worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

Consider the things human beings worry about. The average individual’s worries can be divided into four categories: First, there are the things that will never happen, which constitute 40% of worries. Second, there are things over and past that can’t be changed by all the worry in the world, and they are another 30% of the total. Third, there are petty, needless worries, which constitute 22%. Fourth, there are legitimate worries, and these are only 8% of the whole. Now my dear readers, which category of worry are you struggling with right now? Remember - worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

I read and copy of How to Worry Scientifically from an article and I want to share with you some of the nuggets behind the art of worry scientifically:

1.     Never worry over rumors or what ‘they’ say. First get the facts.

2.     Know definitely your worry problem. Write it down. Face it.

3.     Worry about only one problem at a time.

4.     Set a definite day, afternoon, or night for worrying. (Mine is at night, the time when I’m really sleepy)

5.     Never worry in bad, in dining room, or at church.

6.     Select an air-conditioned room. Lean back in an easy chair.

7.     Never worry with a frowning face. Smile, sing, or whistle.

8.     Never worry when you are tired, sick, angry, or depressed.

9.     Never worry while working, playing, visiting or shopping.

10.  There are two times never to worry – when you can help the situation and when you cannot.

11.  Never worry alone. Take it to the Lord and leave it there. (I quote Proverb 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”)

To be worry is normal, but to let worry crowning in your life is sinful. Worry becomes sinful when it prevents you from thinking about anything else, including God. The Bible teaches that you find rest from worry when you admit that you can’t do anything about the future and what already happened – to God who is ‘our refuge and strength’ (Psalms 36:1) Why don’t you entrust your cares to God instead of worrying about them? May you’ll find yourself overjoyed rather than overwhelmed. Hear the Master speaks,

“That is why I tell you not to worry about yesterday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look as the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your Heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-27)

Think Big Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble. START SMALL Surrender your worry to Big God and He’ll makes yours Smaller and Smaller GO DEEP “Aren’t you far more valuable to him than they (birds) are?” TRUST GOD

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Recommended books;

1) The Gospel of Matthew chapter 6
2) How to Win over Worry by John Haggai

3) How to stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

(If you're near from my place, you can borrow those books from me)