When life gets overwhelming, do you ever feel like you might suffocate under everything you need to do?
Does worry ever weave it’s way into your heart and consume your thoughts with concern?
If I’m not careful, worry can wear me out and make me want to quit… just about everything!
A few years ago, I took my husband’s advice to write down everything on my plate so I could ask God what needed to be cut back. I listed my commitments and concerns, deadlines and dates on my calendar with every appointment, event, conference call and meeting I could think of for the next six months.
And I prayed: Please God, show me where I need to make changes.
I assumed the Holy Spirit would suggest adjustments in my schedule, but that’s not what happened. God didn’t tell me to make cut backs at work or in ministry. He didn’t show me our family had too many activities. He didn’t challenge me to take a sabbatical, although I was hoping He would.
Jesus showed me it was worry — not my workload — that was making me weary.
You see, without realizing it I was spending as much time thinking and worrying about concerns, commitments, circumstances and deadlines as I did working on them.
It was not only how I spent my time, but how I spent my thoughts that left me depleted.
But it wasn’t until I brought it all to God, and wrote it all out, that I recognized what was happening. I wonder if that’s why Peter tells us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
The apostle Paul tells us the same thing, and shows us how:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and A him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)
But it’s not easy. Honestly, our natural tendency is to take control. And we have an enemy who suggests we do. But we don’t have to listen to the lies. Instead we can listen to God’s promises, and take these 3 steps to get God’s peace:
CLICK HERE to Download “3 Steps to Get God’s Peace”
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What a wonderful message!! I’m can be an anxiety driven worrier at times. I too need to remember to let go, and let God. The book would be amazing, as I am a people pleaser. I need to learn balance between what Jesus would do, and spreading myself thin.
Worry often consumes me and I often have to give these concerns over and over multiple times a day to the Lord. I have to learn to trust in His plans for the future and His will.
Thank you for sharing this reminder today. I battle myself on a regular basis with worry and anxiety. Sometimes consumed by things I have no control over or planning things out in my head for a future that’s too far out to even be thinking about. I don’t always remember to talk to God but when I do, and I do more often than not, He always gives me His peace.
Thank you for this reminder today. God always gives us what we need just in time!
Yes, that is exactly what I have been doing, letting the worries of making decisions – all the details to be worked out now consume me and as a result, nothing has been completed.
I love it when I finally turn something over to God and feel His peace flow through me. Why had I worried about it so long when He is there to carry my burdens?
Thank you for helping me to keep focused on Jesus, by laying aside worries. I pray for you, your family, and the impact that you continue to make for His glory.
I’m so grateful for the message in this devotional and with God’s help, I plan to take it to heart along with passing it on to one of my kids. Thank you for using your gifts to communicate His truth.
This was just the reinforcement I needed today! Worry is most assuredly the work of Satan. I have been purposeful in giving even the littlest of things to the Lord, since they can sometimes be the most bothersome. It’s been a difficult path to follow, as the control freak in me tries to get in the way every now and again! But when I look up instead of down pray, trust, and obey and keep reaching for God’s hand, I’m am blessed with peace!
I tend to think I have to take care of everything with my husband being disabled. I was on overload. This reminds to take everything to God. My worries, my anxiety, my fears. Thanks for the reminder.
I love this. Taking my thoughts captive is something I struggle with. Thanks for this!
This word of encouragement is right on time. I have been feeling extremely overwhelmed with work, home, and life in general. While I have been making an effort to pray and give it to Jesus, I tend to continue to worry because the pressures don’t go away, the outcomes are uncertain, and I don’t see God right away. But, I’m reminded faith is not based on what I see and all things are working together for my good! Many blessings to you!
I so identified with your devotional today; I have struggled with fatigue and weariness for most of my adult life. I’ve been to so many doctors over the years, but they can never find the reason. Medication has not helped significantly. In spite of this, I completed college while married, raising 2 sons, taught for over 25 years and now I am a widow, retired. I thought that retirement would solve this problem, but guess what? I’m still weary. I recognized while reading your words, that it is not external activities making me weary, but internal thought patterns, i.e., worry, fear and unrealistic expectations I set for myself. There may yet be an undiscovered physical reason for my weariness, but I want to give it to God, who already knows and has the answers. I know I have never given it to Him. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Thank you for 3 very important reminders on how to stop worrying. Worrying is the greatest hindrance to having a truly God centered life filled with peace.
I love the idea of writing down your worries and burdens and then sealing it and giving it to God in prayer.
What really struck me in your post was taking the scripture from satans perspective and how in my sinful nature that is what I tend to do and oh how the devil loves it. Today I will focus on surrendering ALL to my Lord and Savior!
This is an awesome post! It is so easy for all of us to let worry lead us to becoming weary. No one wants to let go of control to the One who has ultimate control. I have found that it is so hard to let go and let God. It is a long journey, but one I am making progress in. Thanks so much for your thoughts and the download. I will definitely be printing that out and hanging it up where I can see it until it becomes habit!
This devotional and blog post were exactly what I needed to hear. The LORD has been showing me that my words and my thought life are an area of weakness. I struggle with feeling I am not enough for the many “hats” I wear. The simple yet powerful 3steps will give me a way to shift my “self – talk”. And receive God’s perspective through prayer, His word and the Holy Spirit. Thank you!
I had my meltdown just last night in my drive way. I needed this message for your encouragement from Philippians today. For all the talking we women do, we sure can worry inside our heads to the point of delirium. Thank you Jesus and holy spirit for being my counselor.
Thanks– just what I needed to hear today- Blessings to you and Peace