Let It Go : When Worry Is At the Center of Our Life

I am the master of fretting. I’ve sat up nights, worried that I’ve forgotten what I’m supposed to be worrying about. The lack of anxiety gives me anxiety. It’s cyclic. It’s powerful. It robs you of joy. It steals your life.

My worry typically stems from one of two things – uncertainty and/or a lack of control.

“The only thing you can really control is how you react to things out of your control.” Bassam Tarazi

Kind of crazy how a yearning for control ends up controlling you. We want to feel like we’re the master and commander of our own life – the director calling the shots – and the captain of our ship, dutifully navigating our course. But so much of our life is outside of our control.

A few days ago, I re-read a passage of scripture I’ve read many times before. This time however, I was struck by the last few words.

Philippians 4:6-7 MSG “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

“Worry at the center of your life.” Not a part of your life. Not a fraction of your life. The center.

Yikes. Talk about an eye-opener. I spend so much of my time, energy, and emotions on WORRYING. I constantly work through scenarios, possible risks, outcomes that may never occur….always worrying about things that may or may not happen. When I succumb to worry, I’m unable to focus. Worry consumes my mind, pushing out all other thoughts and feelings.

Worry is a takeover emotion. It’s cancerous – invading every facet of our life once we invite it into our life. And that’s the thing – we practically set out the welcome mat, inviting worry in for a glass of tea. We’re full of charm and hospitality, beckoning worry to pull up a chair and stay awhile.

We have the power to kick worry out! Take another look at the passage up above. “Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” When you’re worried, PRAY. When we fully trust God, worry falls to the wayside. Look at what happens – “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.” Oh how often I need to be settled down. Worry makes me act like a child – selfish, afraid, and needy. Doesn’t the peace that passes understanding sound so much more inviting than panic, anxiety, fear, and doubt?

I absolutely love the lyrics to the song, “Million Pieces” by the Newsboys.

When that muffled sigh
Says you’re barely getting by
Cut your burdens loose and just simplify
Simplify

Who isn’t attracted to the idea of simplifying? Worry makes things more difficult. It adds unnecessary weight and burdens to our life. It uses our time and resources -stealing them from worthy pursuits. Worry is an emptier. It empties us of all that we are and all that we have.

Empty and exhausted, we heap the weight of the world upon our shoulders.

Our worries weigh us down. Worrying about that which we can’t control or change is like willfully carrying heavy luggage with you everywhere you go. It’s not impossible to keep moving, but it’s certainly harder – more labored – and we tire more quickly.

“I worry. I weigh three times my body.” ~John Mayer

1. Worrying makes you feel worse, not better.

2. Worrying doesn’t change the outcome or circumstances.

3. Worry steals our time, energy, strength, peace of mind, joy, and confidence.

Who among us would invite a burglar into our home? But so often we indulge our worries – inviting them to put down roots and call our mind their home. We dwell in our worries instead of releasing them. When peace and rest are available to us, we instead cling tightly to our fear and doubt.

Release your worries. If it’s out of your control, give it to God. Let it go. Concentrate on action. What CAN you do? What action steps can be taken? When there is nothing to be done, pray – even when you don’t have words. Even if you don’t believe.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”
~Dalai Lama XIV

Let Christ displace worry at the center of your life. Our lives cannot be centered around our worries. We must take captive our thoughts.

“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels,or any other way you can manage it.”
~Mark Twain

Let these verses be your prayer for the week. Ask for God’s peace to come and settle you down. Ask for peace. Ask for understanding. Ask for a release from the worries and anxiety that weighs you down. Peace and love to you all.

Philippians 4:6-7 MSG “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

*Anxiety is a real and tenuous struggle for many women. Many women refuse to seek help or treatment for fear of being judged. If you are struggling with clinical or chronic anxiety today, know that you are NOT alone. It is okay to seek help. It is brave.