October 7, 2022
Living Without Worry
Kathi Lipp
Today’s Truth
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34 NIV).
Friend to Friend
My husband and I may be the only people in the modern world who knowingly bought a house without heating or air conditioning. When we asked the owners how they heated their house, they pointed to the woodshed across the field and I realized our lives were about to change.
Now, every year we plan to spend the spring, summer, and fall chopping wood, so that by the time winter rolls around, we have stockpiled enough cut logs to see us through until at least April.
And that’s a great plan—until you realize there’s so much daily work that needs to be done. As in, right this instant, missy. Including (but not limited to) working our full time jobs, cooking dinner, cleaning and repairing the house, paying bills, taking care of all the animals, doing laundry, and gardening. Trying to get things done for winter, which is still months off, feels impossible and overwhelming and just not all that urgent.
So, instead of cutting wood, we spent our time worrying about not having wood.
Have you done that? Expended energy worrying about not doing something instead of doing the thing you’re worried about?
God tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV).
So, how do we take the worry out of tomorrow?
Plan for it.
I finally realized I was trying to get too much done each day and not leaving enough time to plan for my future. If I’ll just take a moment to plan for the next step, even if I don’t do it yet, that empties the worry out of today. For instance, if Roger and I put wood chopping on our calendar for the next free Saturday morning, that’s a plan. Every time I panic about not having enough wood for winter, I can think about that date circled on the calendar and relax. No reason to worry.
Trust God for it.
God is very clear throughout the New and Old Testaments that worry is on the no-no list. So, if God wants us to escape something, He has surely made a way for us to do that.
I’ve found two ways to increase your trust in God: spending time with Him and relying on Him for the impossible. Now, this can come in a few different ways. When I’m healthy, it’s spending time in prayer and His Word and asking Him what His will is and pursuing it. When I’m not healthy, it’s not listening to God, going through a crisis, and calling on Him as a last resort. Both ways work. The first way? Vastly more desirable than the second.
Trust ourselves for it.
This rarely gets talked about, but God has given you a beautiful, curious mind to figure things out.
When I become fearful about something coming up in my life—a financial situation, having to learn a new skill, whatever—and that familiar feeling of panic starts to rise up, I take a moment to remember that I’ve been in harder situations and not only has God given me the tools and resources I needed at the time, He’s also given me a mind to be creative and strategize.
One way I like to break down overwhelming tasks is to think, “What is the next, most faith-filled step I can take on this project?” Not the next twenty steps. Not the next big step. What is something I can do in the next 1-5 minutes to push this forward? It’s a great way to make progress, lessen the guilt, and keep moving forward.
Trust the people God has surrounded us with.
In a hard situation, I can feel abandoned. But when I stop to think through my resources, one of the biggest is the people God has already surrounded me with.
I have my small crew of friends I can text at any point for love, laughs, and prayers. I have my husband who is my constant rock in any situation, and I have my favorite Facebook group that I can go to with any prayer request, big or small.
When worry starts to invade your heart and mind, remember all the ways God has already equipped you to face the future with Him.
Let’s Pray
Lord, help me trust You instead of worrying. Please grant me the wisdom in planning and the support from friends I need to live without worry. Show me how to support others as they learn to trust You too. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do you have certain areas of your life where you tend to worry? Where do you turn for wisdom and support?
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© 2022 by Kathi Lipp. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Friday, 07 October 2022.
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