Are You a Worry Wart?

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

Growing up with the last name of Waardenburg often required me to help others with spelling and pronunciation of my last name. Our mail would arrive with many various spellings. In high school, my friends would kid around and mispronounce my name on purpose. The most popular mispronunciation would be “WART-in-burg”. It would eventually evolve to wart hog, and at that point, the joke was over!

As I am in the middle of a situation that would yield itself to a lot of worries, I don’t want to become known as a worry wart.  How can you and I not become worry warts when life is so full of things to worry about? I am learning more and more what it means to trust the Lord when I have no control. I am practising what I have, so casually, read in the Bible by casting my cares on Him (1Peter 5:7). I have had to remember to refocus my thoughts away from my circumstances to Christ (Psalm 139:23, Isaiah 55:8, 2 Cor. 10:5).

Worry can keep us awake all night, but praying can bring peace. Worry can fill our minds with what-ifs, instead of God’s truth and hope for the future. Worry can consume us from seeing everyday moments causing us to be distracted from what God would have for us in the present. Worry will hinder us by causing self-pity rather than sharing with and serving others.
Whether your worries are big or small, real or perceived, few or many, are you willing to trust them all to Jesus because He cares for you?

Blessings, Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Director of Partner Care. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 30 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and teaches a Bible Study for women. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.