Wiping Out WorrySample

There are two days you should never spend a lot of time thinking about: yesterday and tomorrow. Many of us are crucified with two thieves. On the right is Yesterday, and on the left is Tomorrow. 

God doesn’t want us worrying about the past, and He certainly doesn’t want us worrying about tomorrow. He says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

There was a man who began to worry that he would get cancer because it had been prevalent in his family. He worried about it for thirty years and then suddenly died of a heart attack. It’s not a true story, but I think you get the point of the illustration.

Worrying wastes your time. Not only that, it puts within you negative self-talk that can affect your choices and your actions. Should you be concerned about your health? Yes. Should you make efforts to eat wisely and exercise? Yes. Should you manage your money well? Yes.

But to be bound to worry on these things will only prevent you from enjoying your health and blessings you already have.

Jesus told us how to get rid of the worry that He forbids by changing our priorities. He says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The problem with worry is that we are seeking the wrong things—we need to seek God and His kingdom, and everything else will fall into place.  

If you are prone to struggle with the stronghold of worry, I suggest that you make yourself a worry box by cutting a slot in the top of an old shoe-box. When Satan drives you to worry, write your worry down on a slip of paper. Talk to the Lord and tell Him what you have written down and that you believe He is able to take care of whatever worries you put in that box. You cannot handle them, but you know that He can. Then fold up your worry, drop it in the box, and leave it to the Lord. He promises to give you a peace that can only come from Him.

Will a worry box make your problems go away? Probably not. But what it will do is shift the weight of those problems off of you and back onto God. He is strong enough to carry that burden for you. Let Him.