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“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he
cares about you.”
(1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition)
It takes more than willpower to stop worrying. You already
know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry
about this,” and yet you just keep on worrying about it.
It’s going to take more than your willpower to stop worrying.
It takes four things:
1. Get to
know God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “People who
don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things” (MSG). If
you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. You’ve
got to get to know God! As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has
promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special
privileges. When you worry, God says, “You’re my child. Why are you acting like
an orphan?”
2. Put God
first in every area of your life. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t
worry at all about having enough food and clothing …. Your heavenly Father
already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you
if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (TLB).
Any time you take God out of the center of your life and put anything else
there — no matter how good it is — you’re going to worry.
3. Live one
day at a time. The Bible says, “So don’t worry about
tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough
trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV). If you’re worrying about
tomorrow, you can’t enjoy today. You miss today’s blessings. It’s OK to plan
for tomorrow, but you have to live for today. Also, when you’re always worried
about tomorrow, the future gets overwhelming. But God will give you the grace
and strength you need when you get there. Right now, you only need enough power
for today.
4. Trust God
to care. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he
cares about you”(1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition). How do you do
that? One way is to memorize God’s promises in the Bible. They’re like an
insurance policy for believers. When you know something’s covered, you don’t
worry about it anymore. Another way is to pray. If you prayed as much as you
worried, you’d have a lot less to worry about.
What’s the result of taking these four steps? Incredible peace
of mind: “You will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand” (Philippians 4:7a TLB).
Pray this prayer today: “Dear Father, I admit that I often
forget that you are with me. I often forget what you’re like. Would you please
forgive me for that? I need to get to know you better. I need to get to know
your Word and your promises better. Help me to put you first in every area of
my life. Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow
but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in
your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational,
physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry
less. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
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