Worrier to Warrior

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Elizabeth Welte in Victory Call

The passage in Matthew chapter six begins with verse 25, saying, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

 

You know what they say?  When you see the word, “therefore,” find out what it’s there for.  The verses prior talk about storing our treasures in heaven and not on earth, meaning do not seek to be fulfilled by what the world has to offer.  Only God can truly satisfy.

 

Verse 27 says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”  Did you ever hear anyone, ever, share a testimony of how much better they felt and how their situation improved because they worried so much about it?  Didn’t think so.  Worry has the opposite effect and leads to stress and physical ailments.  Is anyone looking to add more stress to their life?

 

Verse 31 repeats the “do not worry” command: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’“  God already knows your needs and promises to meet your needs – not your wants.  Verse 33 goes on to say, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  The passage then ends with another ‘therefore’ in verse 35.  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  And we now know why this second, therefore, is here – because our worry and anxiety don’t change a single thing for the better – it can only make things worse.

 

So what are we to do if we aren’t supposed to worry?  Seek God and His righteousness and His ways.  Give the Lord first place in your life, heart, and thoughts.  Spend time with Him daily, praying and listening (I’m working on doing better listening), and reading the Bible.

 

If you practice praying about the things in your life and your loved ones’ lives that aren’t going so well instead of worrying about them, complaining about them, and wishing things were different, then you will change from a worrier to a prayer warrior.  Sometimes, things are just so out of our control, and we feel like we need to do something.  We have all this nervous energy and want to apply it somewhere.  I want to encourage you to remember that prayer is an action – it is actually doing something about it.  Try it and see how your prayer life grows and how your faith and trust in God keep on increasing.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.

 

Written by Karen Rigby: Karen has been coming to Keswick for over 25 years, has been on staff twice in Accounts Payable, and currently serves in the Partner Care Department.  She has two grown children and two grandchildren.  Karen enjoys mentoring women, women’s Bible study, and volunteering at her church.  If you want to reach out, you can contact her at krigby@americaskeswick.org

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8