Overcoming Worry

Worrying is a common problem for many of us. We worry about our health, family, kids, financial situation, job, future and so many others things. Sometimes worrying makes us take corrective action; but it can be a problem when keeps repeating and when it becomes a habit. Constant worrying impacts our mental and physical health. It undermines our faith in God and prevents us from enjoying our inheritance of God’s peace.

God has promised peace in life, yet many of us struggle with worry everyday and not able to inherit the blessings. We fill our life with worry and all the negatives it brings with it. Worry and faith are inversely proportional, when one increases the other decreases. The way we respond to God’s promises makes difference. We cannot respond to God’s word with faith when we are filled with worry. Same way, worry will vanish away when we grow strong in faith. How are you responding to God’s promises?

In the Bible, there was a promise of hope given to two people. Two people from different walks of life, age and background. They responded differently to their promises. One was Zechariah, father of John the baptist and another was Mary, blessed mother of Jesus Christ. From their responses, we can learn about how worry impacts our faith and how faith can inherit the blessings.

Worrying prevents us from believing in God’s promise:

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were old and did not have a child. An angel of God came to him and gave the long awaited answer for their prayers that they are going to have a son. Zechariah asked the angel “How can I be sure of this?” You see, Zechariah was a priest and knew all the miracles God has done in the past but had disbelief on God’s promise. His worry about being old and not having a child may have overcome his faith and made him to question the certainty of God’s promise. When we are filled with worry, we will have hard time in believing in God’s promises.

Worrying makes us look at circumstances:

Zechariah was preoccupied with his circumstances and was not able to receive the good news with gladness. Many of us are in this category. Worrying makes us to look at our circumstances and question God’s word. We look at problems from a human standpoint and fail to trust completely on God. Yes, it could be impossible to change situation on our own but nothing is impossible for God.

Faith in God removes worry:

Let’s look at Mary’s response. The same angel announced to Mary about Jesus Christ to be born through her. Mary was very young at this time and with different background than Zechariah. But Mary did not ask for a sign like Zechariah. She believed in God’s word and desired to know on how the events are going to happen. Scripture says Mary believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her.

Mary had faith in God which overcame worry; made her to receive with joy the great blessing to be the mother of Christ. Even though she was a virgin, Mary believed in God and submitted to the will of God to be performed in her life. She had similar circumstances which could have made her to worry and had disbelief. But Mary looked at God instead of her circumstances.

Faith in God gives peace:

Are you worried in life? God is expecting us to have faith like Mary. We cannot be strong in faith if we live in worry. We need to believe in God’s word like a child. When we have this faith, there is no place for worry. Jesus is our author and perfecter of faith. When we have faith in Jesus and submit everything to God in prayer, God will fill us with his peace which surpasses human understanding. This peace is based on God and not on our circumstances.

We need this amazing blessing everyday of our life. How will you respond? Do you want to respond like Zechariah or like Mary? Do you choose to worry about your circumstances or do you look to Christ and trust in him to inherit your blessings?

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  ³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” – Luke 1:11-13,18,26-31,34