Worry Free Life - LaQuenda Jackson

I’m not going to lie. I’m a worry wart. I worry about everything. I worry about what’s going to happen when I get to work. I worry about what’s going to happen when I get home. I worry about whether my kids will have a good showing at their soccer game or track meet. I worry about whether I’m going to sing well if I have a solo at church. I just worry.

And it’s tiring. I am literally worn out from worrying so much.

And why do I worry? I’ve been in church my entire life and read many scriptures like:

Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God.

Or

Luke 12:25, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

But more importantly than reading, I have seen God’s never-failing work in my life.  As the kids say, “I have receipts” on what God can do. He’s shown me that he was a sustainer for my children as our family went through a divorce. He’s shown me that he was a provider when times and money were tight. He’s proven over and over again that when the storms of life rage all around me, he can calm the seas and light my path out of the darkness.  

So again, why do I worry? Honestly, I think it’s a habit, and we all know the devil loves when we lean to our own understanding and fall back into the bad habits that increase the distance between ourselves and the life that God has designed for us. The divide allows the enemy to conquer and wreak havoc in our lives, homes and situations.

How do I combat the worry? It’s a constant battle because it’s my weakness. But these last few weeks, I have practiced not moving an inch in the mornings until I have read an inspirational scripture or daily devotional. I have to fill my tank before the depleting habit of worry starts to slowly drain me. And more times than not, I am left with a surplus of confidence that God will work everything out.

I don’t think we are necessarily to live footloose and fancy free, without a care in the world. But the bible says “Cast all of your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” So, from now on, I will focus, not on the worry, but the word and the experience that is knowing God.