This time of year can be very exciting....The weather starts to warm up and you start daydreaming about your summer vacation.  You can almost picture yourself swimming at the pool or laying on the beach or sleeping in for a change.  For most, this is the best time of year (second to Christmas, of course)....but for others this time of year can also be a very stressful time with worries about EOG scores, studying for Final Exams, trying to find a summer job, and/or thinking ahead about starting a new school in the fall.

Unfortunately, we all have to deal with worry at some time or another.  If you aren’t worried right now, be prepared b/c you will be faced with worry at some time in your life.  Many times, though, we worry without even realizing it!  We worry if we studied the right stuff for our tests/exams, we worry about what others will think about what we wear to school, we worry about looking perfect for the hot boy who sits behind us in class, we worry about our futures, we worry about the first day of school, etc.  Worry, worry, worry! 

Did you know that the Bible directly addresses worry?  (Probably b/c we all struggle with it!)  The Bible teaches us a simple principle about worrying….DON’T DO IT! (See Matthew 6:25)  Sounds easy, right?………um, not so much.   If you’re like me, you probably understand things better when you know WHY you are not supposed to do something and also have a hard time not doing something unless you know HOW to not do whatever it is.  The good news is that God provided these answers for us in His Word!

WHY NOT TO WORRY: There is nothing good that can come from it; in fact it can be harmful to your health!  It has been said that worrying takes time off of the length of our life.  Worrying can also damage your spiritual health because as long as you are worried, your focus is on yourself and your problems and not on God.  The devil loves it when Christians worry because it distracts us away from God.  Matthew 6:34 (MSG) tells us “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”  When we worry we are saying to God that we cannot trust Him to take care of our needs.  Simply put…don’t worry because 1) God said not to, 2) It is harmful to you, 3) It is selfish, 4) It prevents you from trusting in God.   

HOW NOT TO WORRY: Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG) tells us “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!”  Simply put…PRAY! Give your worry over to God…tell Him all about it!  He wants you to come to Him in times of worry so that you can place your trust in Him to take care of your every need.  Every time you start to worry, stop and pray instead and breathe in the peace that comes from knowing God is in control!

©heathersmith2006