Worry Not! -Part 2

Worrying about your kids, that’s what moms do, right?  We worry about them falling down and hurting themselves when they are small.  We worry about their friends, their health and we really begin to worry when they start to drive, date, and do all the things they need to do to become adults.

I have two adult children who do not live boring lives.  My son tours the country with a worship band (I blogged about him yesterday) and my daughter is a teacher in Burundi, Africa, the third poorest country in the world.  If I chose to, I could worry 24/7 about my children. But I don’t.  I KNOW that God is taking care of them and I KNOW that they are doing HIS work.

In Matthew 6:24-25  Jesus said,

 “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? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? …

Notice verse 25, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?…  And we all answer NO, but then we worry.  Why do we worry so much?  We worry because we don’t fully 100% trust God for our every need.  We trust him, but…  or we trust him most of the time.

Actually, worrying can take days , even months or years off our lives.  Studies show there is a direct correlation between worrying and anxiety.  Excessive stress and anxiety can cause the body to release stress hormones that can increase  blood sugar levels and triglycerides. These stress hormones can also cause the following physical symptoms:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Digestive disorders
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Fast heartbeat and rapid breathing
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Inability to concentrate
• Irritability
• Muscle aches and tension
• Nervous energy
• Premature coronary artery disease and even heart attack
• Rapid breathing/shortness of breath
• Short-term memory loss
• Suppression of the nervous system
• Sweating
• Trembling and twitching

If excessive worrying and  anxiety go untreated, they can lead to depression and even suicidal thoughts.  Wow, that’s a lot to contend with!

There are some thing we can do to weaken the negative effects worry has on the body such as:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy diet
• Drink caffeine in moderation
• Be conscious of our worries but don’t dwell on them.  Once article I read suggested that you wear a rubber band and “pop” the rubber band if you find yourself in “worry mode”.
• Learn to relax-take a few minutes to relax daily; do whatever you enjoy.  It could be listening to music, taking a relaxing bath, taking a walk, and the list goes on and on.

• Psalms 46:10 Be still and know that I am God

• Have a strong social network whether it’s family or friends.  Express your feelings to someone you trust.
• Make sure you have a place of worship and attend.  Don’t stay home and “live stream” the service.
• Journal through your worries.
• Pray and ask God to help.

• Philippians 4:8    Do not be anxious about anything,  but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

• Meditate on God’s word.  Read Matthew 6:24-25 everyday until it becomes real to you.  Post it on your bathroom mirror, at your workstation, or wherever you see is and read it as a reminder.

• Romans 15:13   May the God of hope fill you with all    joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God really does have the perfect plan for our lives.  He loves us and only wants his best for us.

If only we can learn to trust him!