We all must combat worry and anxiety in the turbulent times we live in. We are surrounded by wars and rumors of war, violence and riots, political unrest, diverse natural disasters, health scares, ever rising prices, addiction, and the everyday problems of life. But all of our worry put together cannot change or help a single thing.

Worry is based in fear and many times follows the words “what if…”. What if this happens or what if that doesn’t happen? Worry and anxiety take fear beyond the normal concern when thinking about problems, and it becomes hard to focus upon anything else.

But God has shown us in His word how we can combat worry. In Matthew 6:25-34 is a list of many things we worry about. Yet God tells us in this passage not to worry about any of these things because God already knows what we need, and He will provide and take care of us.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything and thank God for all He’s done. Then His peace that goes beyond our understanding will guard our hearts and minds, helping us to let go of worry. 1 Peter 5:7 instructs us to cast all our cares and worries upon God because He cares for us.

I recently heard a story that was a great illustration of worry and anxiety. A six-year-old little girl was getting ready for school, and the bus would soon be there to pick her up. She was trying to quickly tie her shoelaces, but they ended up in a tangled mess of knots. As she sat there anxiously working on those laces, knowing the bus would be there in a few minutes, she started to cry. Her father watched as she finally dropped her head to her knees and began to sob.

The little girl’s father had been standing beside her the whole time ready to help her, but she never asked for his help. She continued to try to figure it out herself, worried that the bus was coming, until she was overwhelmed with anxiety and gave up. 

Does this scene describe how we sometimes deal with our worries and problems? We are so fixated on our tangled-up messes that we never lift our eyes off them to see our Heavenly Father standing there right beside us ready to help. He’s just waiting for us to ask. He alone knows the best way to deal with the things that worry us.

There are some practical steps we can take to combat perpetual worry and anxiety. Start by keeping a worry diary. Write down every worry and anxious thought over a few days to a week. Then as you review them, take note of what shows up the most. Do you worry most about finances, health, your family or job? Is there some underlying fear attached to what you worry most about?

Also in your review, ask how many times your worries became a reality. Most of the time what we fear and worry about never does happen. Worry doesn’t help us in any way, nor does it accomplish anything beneficial for us. We need to trust God to meet our daily needs. The moment a worry or concern surfaces, surrender it to God and ask for His help. This is truly the best way to combat worry and anxiety.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 845-482-5300.