Up until a few weeks ago I would have told you that this is the biggest fear of all because it has the ability to cloud our minds. A clouded mind makes it hard for us to hear God's still small voice because of the voices in your head screaming. To put it simplest I would say that worry is the fear of what may or may not happen.
This fear in particular has the ability to hinder us. For instance if you're worried that you won't get a report done on time it will take you longer to get it done. I used to do that all the time. I still do when I'm not paying attention. I'll concern myself with something so I put off doing it. My last blog for example. I was worried about getting it done the way I wanted it done instead of stepping back and looking for a moment and seeing that it was never going to work that way to begin with. Not to mention that the way I am doing it now is much easier and probably better in the long run for those that will read it.
It's also easy to overlook when you aren't searching yourself and consistently trying to root out fear in your life. I never realized how much of a worry wart I was until God pointed it out to me. I had thought that I was a pretty worry free guy because I had seen how other people worrying made them so miserable. Once God opened my eyes and I stopped allowing myself to worry about things it was amazing. I could hear God clearly, I felt at peace, and I actually got things done faster. Even if I didn't get something done (which only happened once) it wasn't as big of a deal because I wasn't stressed at all. Not only that but in the long run it wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Luke 12:22-34
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This is my absolute favorite thing to use when talking about worry:
Excerpt from Baz Luhrmann's Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.
The point here is that worrying is pointless. There is nothing you can solve by worrying. There are many situations in which we worry. Some of which we can do something such as get to work instead of worrying about deadlines. Others we can do nothing. Our lives will be much more peaceful if we can conquer this fear. This one in particular brings a lot of torment. Instead of worrying in cases where we can't do anything just pray and leave it in God's hands. Trust that he will do what's best in the situation and leave it at that.
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