Faith an Antidote for Worry

Don’t worry, be happy... makes a great song, but it seems that it is becoming increasingly more difficult not to worry. Studies show that our culture is becoming more proficient at worrying, anxiety, and depression. The same research shows that more than 50% of us worry about money. Which, in the current climate, makes sense. What else do you worry about? Family and friends, upcoming to-dos, our health, our lack of sleep, our politics, and, as parents, the world that we are leaving behind for our kids and grandchildren.

What is worry? In general, worry is mental distress or agitation resulting from concern about something (possibly) upcoming. Interestingly, I’ve always considered worry an emotion, but it is actually a mental exercise. Therefore, we can retrain our mental highways to worry less.

Many of us have an autobahn- style highway of worry. We worry at great speed. How then can we retrain our brains and souls not to worry so much?

First, as followers of Jesus, we have the ability not to worry because the things that used to give our lives value, meaning, and purpose are secondary to Jesus. Before Jesus, we built our lives on temporary things— money, careers, education, toys. Now, as followers of Jesus, we build our lives on Him. We can lose everything the world offers and still have the most valuable possession—Jesus. So, is your life built on Jesus?

Second, pursue knowing Jesus intimately. We do that by reading the Bible, praying, being with other Jesus followers, and serving our neighbors. Why is this important? Because most of our worries are not true and do not come to pass.Again, researchers have found that more than 90% of our worries never materialize. That’s why the Bible says, “Can all your worries add a single minute to your life” (Matthew 6:27)? Obviously, the answer is “no.”

So, why do we worry? Because we like to be in control. Said another way, we want to pretend we are God and in control of our lives. However, we are not God, and we are not as in control as we would like to be. The Bible tells us to submit our worries and our need for control to God, and in doing so, He grants us peace that surpasses human understanding (Philippians 4:7). When we submit our worries, God does battle on our behalf.

In Philippians 4, we also learn that God’s peace guards our hearts and minds when we submit our worries and need for control. “Guard” is a pretty cool word that means to have a garrison of soldiers stationed for the protection of the city. In this context, this city is your mind, soul, and heart. That means that God wants to keep the worries, cares, and anxieties that usually attack us at bay. How cool is that? God fights your worries and fears for you.

Here’s another way to think about your worries. Think about the pesky weeds in your yard. The best way to keep weeds at bay is to have a healthy lawn with thick, green grass. The healthy lawn chokes out the weeds. Just as we do the hard work of caring for our home’s lawn, we need to do the necessary work for a healthy mind, heart, and soul. That means, those things that should give our life meaning as followers of Jesus (Bible, prayer, serving, etc.) are the very things that keep the weeds of worry, cares, and fear away.

So, as the great theologian Bobby McFerrin says, “Don’t worry, be happy. In every life, we have some trouble, but when you worry, you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy.”