Conquering Worry

A Bluetooth camera in my brother-in-law’s backyard keeps an eye on a brood of bluebirds there. The camera is positioned inside the birdhouse, looking down on the feathery head of the mother bird as she sits on the nest. While she’s away, the camera’s eye sees three baby birds and the two soon-to-hatch eggs. 

The eye of our faithful God watches those bluebirds and faraway planets, too. God sees the heights of mountains and the depths of oceans, as well as the ups and downs of His children. 

The Bluetooth camera merely watches the bluebird family. You wouldn’t expect it to fend off predators or deep clean the birdhouse. No, it just watches.

Thankfully, God does more than just watch.

He is very much at work in all of creation, including the lives of His children. When His children encounter difficulties in this world, God faithfully responds in a time and manner that’s perfect for us.  

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
 
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.

Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You (Psalm 33:18-22).

This passage assures us that God’s eye is indeed aware of all that’s happening in our lives, and He stands ready to help us.

Yet even though we wholeheartedly believe that God is alert to our struggles, we sometimes find ourselves burdened with worry. We know we shouldn’t worry, but we do. You might find yourself awake at night worrying about a rebellious child, financial strain, or problems at work.    

Thankfully, God understands us.

For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14).

Our patient God understands us, and He knows that it’s best that we resist the temptation to worry.   

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7, ESV, emphasis added).

The highlighted phrase there could seem a bit shocking, especially if we had not read it before.

You mean we aren’t supposed to be anxious about anything? The Bible is crystal clear that there are no exceptions when it comes to what we’re allowed to worry about. Yes, there are things that bring legitimate concern, but we shouldn’t let those concerns transform into sinful worry.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7, emphasis added).

God wants us to cast all that worries us onto His broad shoulders. He is strong enough and willing to carry even the heaviest burden. Ask the Lord to help you release all that worries you today.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears are toward their cry for help (Psalm 34:15).

Five things to consider in your battle against anxiety:   

1.    Spend time in the Bible filling your heart with the promises of God. (The Psalms have much to calm the troubled soul.)
2.     Jot down God’s promises and place them in sight so that God can speak to you through them as you go about your day.
3.  Memorize Bible verses. It’s helpful to have God’s Word in your mind to recall, especially as you lie in bed at night and start to worry.
4.   Reject the discouraging whispers of the evil one and the negative things we sometimes whisper to ourselves.
5.      Spend time with other believers. Isolation can be a breeding ground for anxiety.        

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:26-27)