I will be the first to admit my slight worry every time my husband backs out of the driveway and drives to the airport in order to travel for work. I always think about the what if's and the worst cases. I sometimes even call him to make sure I say "I love you," just in case.
When we look at our world, one can easily understand why worry is an easy emotion to have. War, terror, bombings, accidents, earthquakes, and more. I sometimes worry about my kids sleeping in a different room. What if someone breaks in?
It is easy to start thinking about the what if's and get swept up in a whirlwind of worry and concern. Worry can be crippling if you do not know how to handle it.
Let's see what the Bible says about worry:
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:31-34
We cannot know what the future holds and spending our time and energy worrying about a hypothetical future is a waste of our precious time. Instead we need to focus on Jesus and rest in Him. We are in His hands and He will care for us.
We also need to remember: "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear, worry, and overwhelming concern do not come from the Lord. God gives us power and love and a sound mind. When I choose to worry I am choosing not to follow Christ. I am choosing to rely on my own strength instead of upon Him. The Bible makes us many promises and tell us of the great things God has done. He wants us to rely on Him, to trust Him, and not to be consumed by worry.
Reminding myself of the scriptures helps me to focus on Jesus and not be overcome by worry, even in a world full of chaos.