Paul writes: ‘Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel’ (vv. 6-7 CEV). Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; it’s always in motion and it keeps you busy, but it never actually gets you anywhere. In fact, if you do it too long, it wears you out! That’s why we must learn to ‘take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). One medical expert says that we create about thirty thousand thoughts per day, and an uncontrolled thought life can create a perfect environment for needless worry to thrive. The cause of worry is simple: it’s the reluctance to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life. Most of us have spent our lives trying to take care of ourselves, so it takes time – lots of it – to learn how to trust God instead. And the only way you learn that is by doing it. Each time you pray and turn the problem over to God, you experience His faithfulness. That makes it easier for you to trust Him next time. And when it comes to life’s problems, there will always be a ‘next time’. So each time you begin to feel anxious, say, ‘I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!’ The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.
