Worrying…

What does it mean to worry? Are there benefits or disadvantages to worrying? Are you addicted to worrying? How do you stop yourself from worrying?

Sometimes we may be worrying and not even realize that’s what we’re doing till it comes to our attention. So, let’s discover the answers to these questions.

Worry means “giving way to anxiety or unease, allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles” google

“Worrying causing anxiety about actual or potential problems, alarming.” Dictionary

I would say from those definitions worrying is not advantageous but can be harmful in the long run. I asked whether you are addicted to worrying because it’s so damaging to our physical and psychological makeup. When we are worrying, we put ourselves into stress mode. Worrying is over thinking a situation to the point where it becomes your reality before it even happens. This activates the fight or flight responses that our bodies experience during stress.

To me worrying can become addicting since it’s an unhealthy way to deal with uncertainties. It’s okay to take the time an think a problem through but worrying takes a dilemma an thinks it over and over again to a point that the outcome becomes a reality in the mind when in fact you are unsure of the outcome.

I was reading from the bible Matthew 6:25-34 about worry and it occurred to me worry is robbing your peace and steals your joy. I sensed this acronym for Worry during my prayer time which I think is a great eye-opening way of looking at worrying.

W=waste of time and energy

O=over assumptions and outlandish outcomes which are uncertain

R=restlessness equals no strength.

R=reasonings equals fears for future and from past events that may or may not have happened.

Y=yesterdays and tomorrow’s mean your yesterdays are affecting your tomorrows without evidence for tomorrow.

These are Jesus’ words found in, Matthew 6:25-30 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26)Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28) So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”     

We can choose our thoughts. Worry is thoughts that stimulate stress hormones and make you want to go into fight or flight mode based on assumptions built through fears for your future or past events.

It’s time to nip worry in its inception how do we do it by speaking truth to yourself. You do not know for certain the future and it’s ok. God will take you through whatever your facing. Telling yourself a scripture on God taking good care of you is faith in action. Speaking this to yourself is not only faith building but it will create peace in your heart. It’s important to read and talk out loud a scripture so that it goes deep into your heart then as soon as the worry tries to come you can defeat it immediately.

When worrying turns into your go to way to handle life’s challenges it will take rejecting worry. Worrying mediates on fears instead of God’s word. Ask God to forgive you for worrying and begin to speak life into your circumstances by speaking a scripture into your circumstances.

This might take a little time so give yourself grace to understand a new way to release your worries. You can pray, write or talk to God about the situations and then release yourself from knowing the answers to all of life’s problems. You will be able to enjoy freedom from worrying when you stop trying to figure out the unanswered questions. Begin trusting God with all of life’s troubles and rest in His love for you.

https://insightsbydrannette.com/fearful-or-fearless/https://insightsbydrannette.com/peace-in-the-storm/