Delete Worry

by Joan Vetter

If someone handed me two different recipes for a cake with the comment that the first is bound to fail and the second is wonderful, I'd certainly be foolish to try the first one just to see if it works. Similarly, how often have we tried to assemble something and failed, so we finally reverted to the instructions.

However, when it comes to God's Word, we often treat it like we aren't really that much into results. Consider worry - our instruction manual as Christians tells us to "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication (definite petition), with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil.4:6,7) To me, this is like that instruction sheet:

1. Don't worry

2. Pray

3. Ask specifically

4. Praise and thank Him in advance for the answer

5. Let the peace of God guard your mind while you wait

Jesus addressed worry by saying to look at the birds - God takes care of them and reminds us that we are of more value than they are. He tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else we need shall be added to us. Our Bibles are letters from Jesus letting us know what belongs to us. If we got a letter from the bank informing us that we had a CD coming due we would read it and abide by what they told us. How much more should we treat the Word of God as definite instruction. An interesting parallel is CD stands for Certificate of Deposit. We can only take out what we originally have deposited. What kinds of deposits are we making ….worry or trust? His answers are CD's for you - Coming Due!

As an antidote to worry we need to memorize scripture about trusting God until we really do believe it. I love the scripture in 1 John 5:14, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we have asked of Him."

However, if we're honest, this scripture also provokes us - for the answer doesn't always come as we expected. Sometimes there is a long delay, often there are people's wills involved or we may think we know the will of God and we might not.

I struggle with what to say when a friend says, "I just can't help but worry." I've heard it said you either worry or trust, and the outcome depends on which you choose, but I'm searching for a kind way to share that. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, and I would personally rather have someone exhort me to trust God, but I also want to be sensitive to a friend's feelings.

Following are two poems written by Paula Oltrogge, a friend of mine, about worry and trusting:

DELETE WORRY

Cleanse me of worry, Oh Lord,

I lay my concerns at Your feet,

For it's only in letting

You solve them

That these problems will

meet their defeat.

When worrisome thoughts

do come around

I'll trust you to help me

to stand my ground

Worry can only cause hurt

in a life-

It can touch others, as well,

and even cause strife.

For worry is a poison

to resist and forsake-

Instead, from God's goodness and mercy I'll take.

So thank you for cleansing

me of worry,

Reminding me to

turn up the praise,

For you are a God

of deliverance and peace

And it's only Your banner

I'll raise!

WHERE ARE YOU PLACING YOUR CONFIDENCE?

Turn your confidence around;

Let it now in God be found.

There are thoughts

that seek to deceive,

But just let God

those fears relieve.

Turn your confidence around;

Jesus' Words

are sure and sound.

Cast down any thought

that things can't change

With God

anything can rearrange.

Turn your confidence around;

For every victory

in Him is found.

I sent this article to Paula to preview, and she wrote back saying, "Your line about choosing worry versus trust spawned another poem… wouldn't you know." So here it is:

CHOOSE WORRY OR CHOOSE TRUST

Today a problem came

to occupy my mind.

I claim to trust God

but what would it find?

Would it find a mind at rest,

Trusting Jesus through the test?

Or would my mind

be in worry mode?

If so I'll carry a heavy load.

But prayer verses action - which way should I go?

Ask God to make plain

when you just don't know.

Then give it to Jesus when it seems beyond your care.

Give it to Jesus

and leave it there.