Day Fourteen- Letting Go of Worry

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.  ~Glenn Turner

There are a lot of ways that we can waste our time, but worrying just might be the biggest waste of them all. Worrying never changes our circumstances. In fact, most of the things we spend time worrying about NEVER HAPPEN. Are you a worrywart?  You might want to consider the following:

Worrying is bad for our health.

 

While worrying doesn’t change our situations, it does change our body chemistry. Whenever we think negative thoughts, our brains release chemicals that negatively impact our bodies and can actually make us physically ill. We really can be “worried sick.” Worry steals our peace and our rest. Letting go of worry and anxiety will help improve our health. 

Worrying steals our focus.

 

Whatever we choose to focus on will get bigger. If we concentrate on our problems, they will just continue to grow. However, if we choose to focus on positive things, then those will become greater than anything else. Count your blessings, notice positive attributes in other people, and speak positive words over your life. Letting go of worry will enable you to focus on the great plans that God has for you.

Worrying keeps us from trusting God.

 

When we worry, we step out of faith and rely on our own abilities to solve our problems. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” We don’t have to figure it all out on our own.  God has just the right solutions available for us. Letting go of worry sets us free to rest in the promises of God and allow Him to direct our paths.

Let’s make the choice today to walk in faith and let go of worry!

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” ~1 Peter 5:6-7

31 Days of Letting Go- Day One

Welcome to “31 Days of Letting Go!” I am so happy that you are here! Once again, I am taking on the challenge of writing about a specific topic every day for the month of October. I hope you will join me each day as I share some of the lessons that I have learned about “Letting Go.”

Day One: Letting Go of Fear

Fear (noun): a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.  Concern or anxiety. Something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension. (verb):  to feel apprehensive or uneasy; be afraid. 

Fear is a common emotion. We have all experienced it at one time or another. After all, the world we live in is full of many dangers.  But, like any emotion, fear can take over and become a stronghold in our lives. It certainly was for me. Even as a young child, I remember being fearful most of the time. There have been many times that I have allowed my life to be ruled by fear.

So, how do we go about dealing with fear in our lives? Here are some things to remember:

Fear is the opposite of faith.

If we want to live faith-filled lives and accomplish the purposes that God has placed in our hearts, then we are going to have to let go of fear. Fear doesn’t come from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” He did not create us to walk around in constant fear. Rather, He wants us to trust in Him and experience His peace. 

Fear is often at the root of stress.

In her book Who Switched Off My Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf states that fear “triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses.  This activates more than 30 different hormones and neurotransmitters combined, throwing the body into a frantic state.” When fear causes a negative stress reaction, our bodies are flooded with toxicity and we are in an unhealthy, unbalanced state. Letting go of fear leads us to a healthier way of life.

The most effective way to change a negative thought is to replace it with a positive thought.

Fear always brings a negative report, telling you that you’re not enough, you don’t have what it takes, and you will never be able to do it. Instead of dwelling on that negative report, replace it with a positive statement, such as “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Phil. 4:13) Tell yourself “I can do this!” “I am brave and courageous!”

Finally, fear never completely goes away.

It is a part of being alive. Experiencing fear doesn’t mean that you are a coward. It means that you are a human. In fact, a healthy fear- a reverential awe, if you will- can keep us from making potentially harmful mistakes. Letting go of fear doesn’t mean you’ll never feel afraid again. In fact, you might be shaking the entire time you are moving forward. Joyce Meyer refers to this as “doing it afraid.” It is more about saying yes and following through than being afraid. Letting go of fear is a process that can truly set us free and bring us into a deeper relationship with God.

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” 

Psalm 118:6

Day Eighteen- Faith Not Fear

We live in a scary world full of all kinds of danger that could potentially threaten our kids.  Just watch the evening news… child abductions, child abuse, all kinds of accidents, outbreaks of contagious diseases, and even murder.  The reality of it all can be so overwhelming! We can easily find ourselves in the grip of fear. Fear that can take us beyond common sense and put us into a tail spin of extreme overprotection.

Several years ago, while at a church women’s retreat, I learned a tremendous lesson. One of the women there shared about how we should not parent our children out of a position of fear; rather, we should parent them out of a position of faith.  Yes, we should use wisdom and continue to do practical things to protect our kids (car seats, safety belts, bike helmets, “good touch, bad touch” training, etc).  But we need to guard ourselves against becoming fearful and overprotective.  This bit of wisdom absolutely transformed the way I approached parenting from that day forward!

There is a great moment in the movie Finding Nemo when Marlin and Dory are in the whale.  Marlin says, “I promised him [Nemo] that I would never let anything happen to him.”  Dory says, “Huh, that’s a funny thing to promise.” Marlin: “Why?”  Dory: “Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him- then nothing would ever happen to him.  Not much fun for little Harpo.”

Things are going to happen to our kids- hopefully it’s mostly good stuff, but there might be some difficult stuff.  Try as we might, we can’t protect them from everything. What we can do is use wisdom, pray, and trust God.  The Bible tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Let’s be parents who exercise faith, not fear!