Hi Hi Dear Reader,
How is your week coming along? I hope it is going well.
This week I want to share about how to deal with worry (haha just like the title suggests)
Today, while spending time with God, I was sharing some things on my heart about my concerns for the future and lowkey fear which can be summed up in one word *worry*. According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, WORRY means a “mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated” Worry is associated with thinking thoughts that are laced with negative things happening. As I was writing these things down, I asked myself – what does God’s word say about worry and I looked into Philippians 4: 6-8. That’s where the next three steps to dealing with worry come from. I would be making reference to the MSG version (and I’d suggest reading it in other versions as well)
- Pray about your concern.
Phil 4 vs 6 MSG Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
The verse above tells us what to do instead of worrying. We are encouraged to pray and to turn our worry into petitions and reasons to give God praise. So basically you flip the worry. Instead of continuing in “oh I am so scared I won’t get the job, and I won’t be able to pay for my house rent”, you pray about it this way – Lord I thank you that I am yours and you delight in caring for me, I may not know how this will happen but I know you will not leave me stranded, teach me what to do, help me not to be overwhelmed. You get?
2. Replace your worried thoughts with positive thoughts.
Phil 4 vs 8 MSG Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
For some reason I have always looked at Phil 4 vs 6-7 and 8-9 as stand alone verses not as a flow until today. Phil 4 vs 8, Apostle Paul continues to admonish us and says we have to fill our minds and set our thoughts on things that are noble, true, lovely, honest, good report, the best not the worst. We have to intentionally do this. Again we flip our worry. We move from dwelling on the worst case scenario till it paralyzes us to thinking about the best case scenario and rejoice. It will come together. I will receive that good news, I will be blessed with the best spouse, I will be admitted to the right school, etc and if things do not even happen as I envisage, I will believe that God is working it all out for my good
3. Actually practice number 1 and 2
Phil 4 vs 9 MSG Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Don’t just say I know I know, actually put into practice what you have read whenever you identify worry creeping in. God’s promise to us is that we are worth His investment (Matthew 6) and that His peace will guard our hearts and mind.
I pray that when worry attempts to steal our joy this week, we fight back with God’s word and flip the script.
Have a blessed week
Temidimples
P.S: You can leave me your prayer requests here: https://forms.gle/uUwSYpNsyGbYjX639 (It will be anonymous)
