“Don’t Worry About Tomorrow”—Easier Said Than Done?

Do you have a worrying problem? Do you sometimes get overwhelmed with negative and anxious emotion? When you think about the future, do you often feel afraid?

Do you ever worry … a lot?

Excessive worry is known as anxiety. And this is a dangerous emotion that can affect both our mental and spiritual health. It can erode our faith, rob us of hope and drive a wedge between us and God.

Defeating fear, doubt, worry and anxiety begins with the realization that sometimes we cannot stop these unhealthy thought patterns on our own. They only get worse if neglected, and they are the opposite of God’s Spirit—the fruits of the Spirit include faith, joy and peace (Galatians 5:22-23)! To take control of our minds, we must work diligently with our Father to fight these four negative emotions with some specific spiritual tools.

Fighting fear: total trust in God

When we find ourselves feeling fearful, we can turn to God and His Word. He has promised His people an amazing future, and He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). Trusting God is the first step to overcoming fear and anxiety! When we feel afraid, we can take a moment to remember God’s promises by reading some encouraging scriptures about God’s character, consistency and promises.

One such scripture that can be helpful is Psalm 56:3-4: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”

Fighting doubt: strong and secure faith

When we find ourselves being pulled to and fro by doubt, we can work on our faith. Christ’s disciples realized their inadequacy, saying to Him, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). He replied by illustrating the power of faith and then by connecting faith to obedience and dedication to God (verses 6-10). Similarly, if we wish to increase in faith, we must ask God for help (Mark 9:24) and we must serve and obey Him (James 2:14-18). Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5—which means that this will naturally develop in our lives as we draw closer to God and grow in His Holy Spirit.

Scriptures like James 1:6 tell us how we can develop stronger faith: “Ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Fighting worry: prayer

When we focus on our problems and let them bother us deeply, sometimes it’s hard to let them go. We have to remember to “give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, New Living Translation). We can practice going through each thing that we’re worrying about in prayer, asking God for His help with these things. It’s amazing what peace of mind we can have when we name them all, one by one, and seek God’s help.

Philippians 4:6-7 instructs us: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (NLT).

How to fight anxiety: meditation

When you feel a sense of negativity and unease building in your mind, it is important to stop it before it escalates. The key is gaining control of our mind and focusing on God.

Isaiah 26:3 reveals how we should think: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (emphasis added). Controlling our thoughts is not easy, but one way to learn how to do it better is through meditation. Learning how to meditate requires that we set aside a period of time in a quiet place (away from people, smart phones and other distractions) so we can think about spiritual topics.

Philippians 4:8 gives us guidance: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Victory comes from the Lord

Defeating negative and unhealthy thoughts is not easy. It takes patience, perseverance and courage! But it’s possible with God’s help. He is a God of hope with a powerful Spirit that can help us grow in peace (Romans 15:13)!

For more insight on overcoming anxiety in your life, read our blog on “Dealing With Anxiety.”

Tamara Valley is a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Houston, Texas.