Weights, Worries & WearinessSample

WORRY WARS

The biblical meaning of worry involves being anxious, overly concerned in thought and troubled with cares. The root word of worry is merimnao, which is closely connected to the word merizo, meaning to be drawn in different directions or to be distracted by anxious cares. The word ‘worry’ actually comes from the term that means ‘to choke’ – and this is exactly what worry does. It creates mental and emotional strangulation in your life. Often, worry worsens a situation – when you spend so much of your time worrying over the future, you cripple yourself in the present. Worry creates a war of distraction in your mind. In this way, it robs you of living effectively in the here and now.

At the heart of worry is the lies of the enemy, and these are often based on fear. The strategy of the enemy is to keep you so distracted by worry and fear that you become ineffective in living the life God knit you together for.

The lies of the enemy are fabricated around the fear that something terrible is going to happen, and that worrying about it will help you to prevent it from happening. Essentially, the lie of the enemy says that by worrying, you can remain in control of the situation.

In 2019, a study showed that 91% of the things that we worry about never actually happen. However, it’s the 9% that ends up crippling us with fear. So, let’s take a look at what scripture says. John 16:33 says that, yes, in this world, there will be trouble – but Jesus finishes this reality by stating that he has ‘overcome the world’. We know that the worst thing we will face is death, but Jesus declares that He has made a plan, even for our worst fear.

Therefore, the key to winning the war on worry is countering the lies with the truth. Before we dig into the root of that truth, it’s important to first define the lies. Remember, you can’t defeat what you don’t define.

To define the lies, take some time to reflect on the following questions:

• What areas in your life cause you to worry the most?

1. Finances
2. Failure
3. Your kids
4. Your marriage
5. Your value
6. Your future

• What is your biggest fear?
• Is there a truth that is greater than your worst fear?
• What is stopping you from holding onto that truth?

PRAY

Lord, help me identify the spaces in my mind at war with worry. Help me to align my thoughts to your truth. I pray for your peace and wisdom to discern the distractions of the enemy. Amen