When Worry Gets Out of Control

The Bible often mentions worrying. Probably because we invest so much time doing it. A 2022 American Psychiatric Association study showed overall anxiety levels increasing steadily every year, with two in five people ranking their mental health as poor.

Is your worry on the rise, too?

Life’s pressures pull us toward worry for the future whenever we are not guarding our hearts. Worry is easily triggered. If not interrupted through ongoing engagement with God’s Word and prayer, worry can spiral down to debilitating anxiety. The more we worry, the more it makes us worry!

But Jesus has some strong and hopeful thoughts about worry for us today. He makes it clear we are not to worry. He encourages us to turn all our worries over to him (1 Peter 5:7). And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’s longest and most detailed teaching in the Gospels, he tells us so five times.

The call to “fear not” is found in the Bible 365 times. Knowing our tendency to worry, perhaps God desires to remind you that every day of the year you can trust him to handle your fears.

What triggers you to begin worrying? Jesus says we should be most concerned about what God wants of us. He promises that God will take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33).

How is his approach different from the way you live your life now? Think back. What were you worried about today? What about last week, last month, or even last year? Has anything changed? What are you learning from God’s Word that will help you not to worry even if things don’t change right away?

Here are some action steps to keep your focus on God throughout today and every day of the year:

• Read Matthew 6:25–34. How does this passage speak to you about your personal worries? What worries demand your attention? Give each of them to God.
• If Jesus stood before you now and told you he has the provision for your need, how would you feel? Be still before the Lord in prayer as you reflect on today’s passage.
• Wait in silence for a few moments in God’s presence. Receive the gift of his peace in exchange for your fear. How would you feel if you carried this peace with you throughout the rest of the day?

Today’s Prayer:

Lord, if worrying were an Olympic event, I would be a medal winner! Teach me not to worry or lose sight of the bigger picture of your love and purpose for my life. Fear has left me feeling trapped, but today, I want to exchange my worries for your peace. Reassure my heart today of your everlasting love and provision for my every need. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

This devotional by the American Bible Society is available at Bible.com. (MCN)