After a busy day I was exhausted. I climbed into bed. Glancing at my phone I saw it was after midnight, and I knew the next morning I had to get up bright and early. I really needed a good night’s sleep. That’s when I became worried that I would sleep so soundly that I wouldn’t hear the alarm and wouldn’t wake up on time to accomplish what I had on my schedule for the next day. The more I worried about it, the less I slept, and by the time the morning came around my worrying had brought about a sleepless night.
There is a Swedish proverb that says, “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” How true! Worry amplifies things in our minds until they loom so dark and menacing in front of us that we are convinced that terrible things are bound to happen.
The best place to go when we are tempted to worry is to God’s Word for faith and comfort. The Bible cautions us against worrying. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
Prayer is an important step to overcome fear and worry. God is the only one who can bring peace and calm to our spirits, but we must be humble enough to ask Him for His help. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God … casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
He has promised to take care of us, but we have to let Him: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
To give in to fear and worry is to lose faith in God’s promises. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
If we truly believe that God is sovereign, we know that He can bring us through any trouble we face. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6).
Remember, there is not a worry in the world worth the worry!