Don't Worry

The first lesson you need to learn is that you must not worry! This is the biggest problem that I, you, and many other people have. Worrying strangles our creativity and growth, prohibiting us from making significant progress in our lives. Before you and I begin to tackle this significant problem, let us first define what worry is so that we can start from a common starting point. The dictionary defines worry as to "Give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles."

Based on this definition, you can see that worry is a natural human behaviour, and as such, it is important to our survival that we as a species continue to exhibit this trait. Worry acts as a signal for us to implement the required mitigating actions that will allow us to protect ourselves and our loved ones. If we are in the jungle and hear the roars of a pride of hungry lions that have not eaten for a week, then not worrying and taking action would be rather foolish. The problem occurs when we perpetually worry about events completely outside of our control or about potential events for which we have already have plans in place. It is this habit of worrying that I will be speaking about.

What Worry Does to You

If your mind is continuously focused on an actual or potential problem that makes you feel anxious, then you are worrying and creating a stressful environment for yourself and your loved ones. To momentarily relieve this stress, many people practice habits that are harmful to themselves and the people they are associated with. These are some of these harmful habits:

1. Overeating: This is one thing I am guilty of. If I am worrying, I usually find myself at a restaurant enjoying an excellent meal, and this may go on for several days until the problem is resolved. If you are overeating, do a mental check to validate whether or not you are worrying.

2. Using drugs and alcohol: More and more people are taking drugs and alcohol so as to force their minds from thinking about the problem or situation they are worrying about. I frequently visit a shelter for the homeless and have met men that have become addicted to alcohol and drugs so they can avoid thinking about their problems only to end up losing the family, jobs, and hard–earned money they had worked for all their lives. Using drugs and alcohol won't solve your problem. If you are unable to stop worrying, then seek professional help as quickly as possible.

3. Shouting and insulting other people: When someone is behaving extremely negatively to express a negative thought, this is a defense mechanism in psychology referred to as "acting out." This is something that I know several individuals do both at the office and at home. To combat stressful situations, they insult and bully their employees, colleagues, and family members. I recall having a manager, that when presented with a problem, would attack everyone in his path until the problem was resolved. Of course the end result was that he didn't have the respect of his staff, and they avoided advising him of any potential or actual problem that he needed to address. This resulted in the issues becoming more severe than they should have been. If you behave in a similar manner, it is best that you seek professional help so you can learn how to approach your problems rationally, whether they are real or not. In essence, when you worry, it negatively affects you and the people around you, including your relationship with God. Constant worrying will destroy you!

But what does the Bible have to say about worry and how it affects you? There are three things it says that I would like to point out:

1. First, it says that worry is a heavy burden. This we can all agree on. Many people even hunch their back when they are worrying, as if they are literally carrying a heavy weight.

Proverbs 12:25. "Worry is a heavy burden, but a kind word always brings cheer.

2. The second key point that Scripture teaches us is that if you worry, then you won't do what you need to do to be successful.

Ecclesiastes 11:4. "If you worry about the weather and don't plant seeds, you won't harvest a crop."

Has this ever happened to you? An example could be you worry you will fail a job interview you've always wanted, so you decide not to apply. Or, you worry that your manager won't say yes to your request for a pay increase, so you don't ask him for one. And the list goes on and on. So by worrying, you significantly increase the chances that you will fail because you become fearful and decide not to proceed and do what is necessary for you to become successful. Don't let that happen to you!

3. Thirdly, the Bible teaches us that you don't live longer by worrying. This is supported by medical evidence, which undoubtedly proves that when you worry, you slowly destroy your body. Do you want this to happen to you? Do you want to destroy yourself? Of course not, so why worry?

Luke 12:25. "Can worry make you live longer?"

Why You Shouldn't Worry

Besides the overwhelming medical evidence that constant worrying destroys your body, there are other key reasons why you should not worry. Let's look at three of these reasons.

The first reason is that in both the Old and New Testament, God repeatedly tells us not to worry. As believers, we should put our trust and faith in Him and His words.

Psalm 91:5. "You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day."

Mark 5:36. "Jesus heard what they said, and he said to Jairus, "Don't worry. Just have faith!" Luke 12:29. "Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink."

Haggai 2:5. "Just as I promised your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Don't worry. My Spirit is right here with you."

The second reason why you shouldn't worry is because God will supply all of your needs – yes, not some of your...