Worry, Inc.

Sometimes it seems like there is so much to worry about, there is little time left to do anything else. I don’t have to produce a list of things to worry about. We all have them, but listen.

If you’ve ever studied or worked in a manufacturing environment you’ve see the production process. If you apply lean manufacturing principles, you’ve got yourself an even quicker way to produce more product with less effort. Worry can be like that. We take a thought, put it on the conveyor belt and apply the ‘what-if’ principal; then we add on a few ‘oh-nos’; we hammer on some logic and wrench in a few ‘if-onlys’; finally we drag ourselves, exhausted to the end of the line where we attempt to accept the finished product. Whether the result is what we hoped for or not, by now our energy is depleted and the enthusiasm we expected has been lost – – – all because of worry.

Here’s what we have to do to avoid worry. Stop worrying! At the first thought, where worry starts, stop right there and turn it over to God. The instant the thought starts, cut if off at the root, before it has a chance to germinate. You can be driving down the road, at your desk, at the store or taking a walk. “Lord, I’m worried about this. I can’t get it out of my mind. Please take this situation and transform it into something good. I don’t want to let go of it, but I have to because it’s out of my control and I can do nothing to change it, but you can. And God, thank you for giving me friends who support me through this situation.” So that is a sample prayer of acknowledging to God that He is in control, turning the situation over to him, and then thanking him for something unrelated, but meaningful. This is a good time to remind ourselves that God gets to decide anyway, so why not dump the situation on him and let him take care of it. We are at an advantage because it frees up our energy to do something awesome.

I wonder how Gideon felt back in Judges 7. I was reading about how he had 32,000 men ready to go to battle in verse 1 of Judges 7 and by verse 7 he had whittled it down to 300 men. And get this! What was God’s weapon of choice? Trumpets and jars! Are you kidding me? Can you even imagine how Gideon must have felt and how his soldiers must have reacted when he said, “OK, men. Mount up. Do you all have your weapons? Carry your jars high and have those trumpets handy, ‘cause you’re gonna need ‘em!” I know. I thought the same thing, but Gideon and his 300 warriors did not worry. They didn’t waste energy on the assembly line of worry. They gave the situation to God and look what he did with it!

What are we all going to do when the worry wart starts to move in and get comfy in our brain? Stop it! Stop! Pray in that instant – “God take this!” Then thank him for something – “God thank you that I can read.” It’s what God wants for you, his child.

Proverbs 8:32 “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.