Do you spend time worrying about things in life that are beyond your control? Are you constantly trying to figure situations out? If that’s you, I want to let you know that you can rest in God and trust Him to fight your battles for you.
It took years for me to learn that worry is useless. All it did was aggravate me and it didn’t change a thing. Worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair and rocking all day—it keeps you busy but you get absolutely nowhere. At the end of the day, you’re still sitting right where you were when you started.
God didn’t create us to live worried and stressed out. The truth is there is no need to worry because we can trust God completely.
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing!
The Bible says that we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow or what we’re going to eat or drink or wear because tomorrow will have sufficient problems of its own (see Matthew 6:25-26). And God gives us the grace we need every day to handle whatever that day brings.
We need to learn how to trust God one day at a time. Instead of trying to figure out tomorrow, we just need to thank God for today.
In 1 Peter 5:6, the Bible talks about humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in due time. And the very next verse says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7, NIV). God wants to take care of us.
It amazes me that many times we believe that if we think about our problems long enough, we can actually figure them out. We would be so much better off if we would just wait on God to show us what we need to know about the situation.
The Strategy of Trusting God
I want to encourage you to get comfortable with not knowing. Part of trusting God is having unanswered questions. Many people have questions they want answers to but when they get those answers, they don’t feel the need to trust God anymore. You might not have the answers to your questions right now but what you do have is the ability to trust God.
Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Trusting God is the greatest privilege that we have. No matter what kind of problem you have in your life, you get to trust the Lord. He doesn’t want you to live in fear. He loves you so much and He is on your side, working in your situation!
Second Corinthians 10:4-5 talks about one of the greatest weapons God has given us and that is His Word. When you get overwhelmed by worry in your mind, take the problem and start attacking it with Scriptures.
When you speak the Word of God out loud, you’re demolishing “arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…” (NIV). Take time to learn what the Word says so you can recognize the lies of Satan and overcome his attacks.
Faith That Trusts and Conquers All
God operates through our faith whereas worry prevents Him from working. When I need a breakthrough and I’m trying to figure everything out, I just say, “God, I thank You that You’re working right now. I don’t see any progress or feel anything happening but I’ve prayed. And the minute I prayed, I believe You started working and I am going to see the victory.”
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced many enemies coming at him all at once. At first, the Bible says he felt fear but then he “set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord” (verse 3, AMP). Jehoshaphat had a big problem but he didn’t sit down and worry. Instead, he set himself to seek the Lord and hear what God had to say.
Then in verse 15, God sent a prophet who told Jehoshaphat to “be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Well, that is good news! You can win the war with worry because God wants to fight for you!
In verse 17, he says, “You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you.” So the position Jehoshaphat took was to get down on his knees and worship God. And he stayed there, worshipping God until he got a breakthrough.
Then, in verse 22, when all the people began to sing and praise the Lord, their enemies got so confused that they killed each other! If you want to confuse the enemy when problems are coming at you, instead of worrying, put your focus on God—worship, sing and give praise and thanks to Him. Trade your worry for worship and watch God begin to work. Don’t ever say again, “I’m just a worrier.” Your new confession is, “I do not worry. I trust God!”
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s five-teaching CD series The Cause and Cure for Worry. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries. {eoa}
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 135 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Authentically, Uniquely You (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
