Undercurrent - Escaping the Riptide of Worry
Life is full of so many stresses and pressures. There are health issues, financial pressures, family challenges, and more. Often the ”what ifs” begins to grow which adds to the pressure. “What if I lose my job?” “What if the tests come back positive?” “What if this relationship fails?” We can find ourselves caught up in a riptide of worry, a current that is so strong we can’t swim against it.
Listen online: Escaping the Riptide of Worry
Sermon Notes
The Bible has a lot of wisdom concerning worry and anxiety. Here are four things the Bible tells us about how to fight worry.
1) Remind yourself: worry only does harm and not good.
- Jesus asked, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27
- Not only does worrying not lengthen or improve your life, it actually shortens life and decreases the quality of life.
2) Make up your mind in advance not to engage in worry.
- Luke 21:14
- Decide before you begin to worry how you’re going to respond to circumstances that often cause you to worry.
3) Release pressure by turning worries into prayers
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philipians 4:6-7
- Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
4) Do what you can and trust God for the rest
- You have to do your part to improve your situation, but trust god for the parts that are outside of your control.
- Off-load the things that are beyond your control to your Heavenly Father. He loves you and can be trusted to care for you.
- When you off-load your troubles, it brings peace.
- Isaiah 26:3
Next Steps
- Decide ahead of time how you are going to respond to the things that cause you to worry.
- Spend time each day reading the Bible and praying so your faith in God is strengthened and you are better able to trust Him with your worries.
- Create a “Trust God” box. Write out your worries and place them in the box to symbolize your putting your worries in God’s hands.
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