Battling Worry

I remember when my mom recommended Linda Dillow’s Calm My Anxious Heart to me, and I thought, almost defensively, I don’t have an anxiety problem. Pride had gotten the best of me. I read the book and realized anxiety is what I had been wrestling with. To be clear, any reference to anxiety in this blog is referring to occasional or circumstantial anxiety, which is a common emotion in life characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes (like increased blood pressure). I am not addressing extreme anxiety or anxiety disorders.

My last blog about Navigating Hard Circumstances talks about how to find peace and joy amidst pain and suffering. That is one thing. But what about worry and anxiety? Worry tells us that pain and suffering are coming, and we are left to wonder if Worry is going to be right this time. If we believe Worry, then suddenly Anxiety poofs into the room like an evil fairy.  

Sometimes we have this innate sense that something is wrong. Worry tells us. We fear what we think will prove true. Our heart is threatened. We hope Worry is wrong. We tell ourselves that Worry is wrong in effort to free our hearts from the anxiety, yet that tiny hunch doesn’t go away. Maybe we pretend we aren’t worrying about it—fake it till you make it. But if we are honest with ourselves, Worry is screaming at the top of her lungs and it’s all we hear. Anxiety doesn’t politely knock at the door. Left unchecked, she relentlessly insists on her presence in the room despite our darnedest efforts to shut her out.

Sometimes the things we worry about end up being true. But many times they don’t. What is sure is that the world is riddled with unknowns, much of which is out of our control if we are honest with ourselves, and this breeds Worry’s army. And as the quote goes, “Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”

So we turn first to verses like 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We think I’m trying to give my worries and cares to God. I’m trying not to worry about anything. And I’m praying about it, too. But I’m still worrying.

How do we give all our worries and cares to God? How do we get off the rocking chair? How do we battle worry and access peace?

Battling worry requires humility and trust.

Battling worry requires humility and trust. I want to go back to the verse above, and back up one verse, and glean some more insight. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Dillow states, “For me, humbling myself involves yielding to God as the Blessed Controller of whatever situation or person is causing me anxiety” (Dillow, 132). This means accepting that you do not have control and trusting Him with the outcome even when that means it may not be what you want. Dr. Brian Long talks of humility beginning with bowing down to the cross. It is a full surrender to the mighty power of God and God alone. With this posture of humility and trust, then we can release our worries and cares to Him. 

Humility and trust begin with knowing who God is and who we are in Him

Well how do we get there? Humility and trust begin with knowing who God is and who we are in Him. God’s character is robust and He has a lot to say about our identity in Him, so below are just a few statements that are particularly helpful for me when I’m battling worry:

  • God loves you (John 3:16) 

  • God cares for you (Matthew 6:26)

  • God is perfect and His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30)

  • I am a child of the King (Romans 8:16)

  • I am protected wherever I go (Psalms 91:11)

  • I am being taken care of by God (Philippians 4:19)

Do you believe those statements? Maybe your prayer will sound like the father of the child in Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” If your beliefs here are faulty, then you will find yourself stuck on the worry rocking chair. I have found the most effective weapon in battling worry is meditating on God's character and my identity in Him. When we believe God is who He says He is and that we are who He says we are, then we can humble ourselves before Him and trust Him with our worries.

I have found the most effective weapon in battling worry is meditating on God’s character and my identity in Him.

Then peace comes. Peace comes even when the situation has not changed. Peace comes even when it doesn’t make sense. Peace, that surpasses all understanding, comes. It’s a supernatural exchange. Where there is peace, worry has no voice.

Worry is a hard one. Sometimes it feels impossible not to worry. As humans, we will imperfectly fumble through battling worry. Give yourself grace. As Dr. Brian Long says, it’s not about perfection, but direction. When worry starts calling (even if it’s only 5 mins later), let’s first pause and meditate on who God is and who we are in Him, so that we can practice humility and trust. The more we do, the stronger we will get.

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But what about when worry is right? In the end, our worry and anxiety is linked to our fear of pain and suffering. Because sometimes the outcome of a situation is not what we want. But this just circles us back around to my last blog Navigating Hard Circumstances. We will have pain and suffering in this life. But we know God has equipped us with what we need to navigate it when it does come. So rather than worrying about it, we can trust that He is taking care of us no matter what happens. 

If you are dealing with extreme anxiety or anxiety disorders, check out Toby Slough.
If you are wanting to study the 40 I Ams, I recommend Toby Slough’s study.

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Dillow, Linda (2007). Calm My Anxious Heart. Navpress published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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