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Many
folks worry about things that never happen, like the patient in the mental hospital,
holding his ear close to the wall, listening intently. The attendant finally
approached.
"Shhh!" whispered the patient, beckoning
him over. The attendant pressed his ear to the wall for a long time.
"I can't hear a thing," he finally said.
"I know," replied the patient, "it's been like that all
day!"
Paul wrote some of the earliest recorded
advice for those who struggled with consuming worry. To combat disabling
anxiety he exhorted
the Philippian church to some positive praying and worship. Philippians 4:6 hits where
many of us struggle; "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Peace
in the heart ( v. 7) and a closer walk with God is the result of replacing
worry with prayer.
As people who believe God knows what
He is doing, we can decide to replace our anxious thinking with the activities
of prayer and
thanksgiving. Praying with thanksgiving reminds us that God can do
something about our impossible
situations. It gives Him proper place in our lives while giving us
a sense of Someone else
bearing our trial with us.
So, would you rather worry today or let God
do the worrying? Would you rather fret or pray? The choice is
yours.
All Scripture references are from the New American Standard
Version unless otherwise noted.
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Replacing Worry
