Welcome to “Tuesday Morning”—a great read; morning, noon, or night. Thanks for joining us today.

 

There is an old saying: “Change your mind, and you change your life.” Change comes about by choice, not by accident. Accidents can certainly lead to changes in how we think and behave, but changing one’s behavior over a lifetime comes intentionally, not accidentally. The old proverb is true: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

 

The subject of today’s message is “Overcoming Worries.” Do we all worry? Yes. Does worry lead to bad things happening? Almost always. Should worry be avoided? Yes, wherever possible. Is worry a gender issue? Not really—worries worry us all. But there are ways through worry. Consider these lyrics by Gloria Gaither:

 

Someone said that in each life some rain is bound to fall

And each one sheds his share of tears and trouble troubles us all

But the hurt can’t hurt forever and the tears are sure to dry

 

And it won’t rain always

The clouds will soon be gone

The sun that they’ve been hiding

Has been there along

 

And it won’t rain always

God’s promises are true

The sun’s gonna shine in His own good time

And He will see you through

 

Continue reading below whenever you are ready to begin overcoming worry. You will be glad you did.

  

Tom Barnard

A Senior Encourager

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Overcoming Worry

Tom Barnard

 

everal years ago I sent a questionnaire to a group of friends and family that were nearing or were at retirement age. Nearly everyone responded promptly and included reasons for their answers. Here is the question I asked:

 

What are the three greatest causes of worry for the mature Christian?

 

Most of the answers included more than three causes. The top five won’t surprise you:

 

Finances…Family…Future…Faith…Health

 

Worry is not restricted to any one age group of adults. Adults under the age of 65 are concerned about one or more of these top five responses. Adults under 30 are more likely to be focused on concerns over jobs, money, and relationships than they are about family, future, and faith. But worry is worry. We all worry!

 

There is a name for certain kinds of worry—Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Those who write on this subject say that GAD affects about 4 million American adults during the course of a year. Symptoms may include chronic worry and tension; difficulty concentrating on anything for very long; excessive reaction to events and people; back and neck tension; an unrealistic view of problems; and constant irritability. Before you say, “That’s a description of me,” let’s talk about how Scripture addresses some of these areas of concern.

 

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in every way by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6)

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he; I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4)

“Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you.”  (1 Peter 5:7)

 

Norman Vincent Peale once said, “You are not what you think you are; but what you think, you are.” I believe it was he who suggested these 8 principles for times we feel we are being threatened by worry:

 

• Outsmart worry. Displace it by affirming your faith. “When worries come, always drop the powerful word faith into your worry thoughts.” (Peale)
• Hit your accelerator, not your brake. Attack worry, rather than protect yourself defensively from it. Design activities that challenge your energy, rather than cower under a blanket and pout.
• Change the subject by changing your thought patterns.  Don’t live in denial that you have been overtaken by worry; rather, deny the Accuser from gaining a foothold in your soul.
• Affirm yourself. You are a child of God. You are a new person in Christ. Affirm that! If necessary, write to note to yourself and carry it with you: “God has chosen me to be His.”
• Visualize yourself as being free of worry. Hold that picture in your mind. Claim it! “Positive thoughts produce positive results. Worry is negative; faith is positive. So be positive!” (Peale)
• Add up your blessings. As the gospel song suggests, “Name them one by one.” “The more you add up your blessings, the less control worry will have over you.” (Peale)
• Place yourself and your family in the hands of God. In your prayers you have said your loved ones are in His hands. Believe it, and practice it. Let them remain in God’s hands. It is safe there.
• Practice thanking God for everything that happens to you—both the good and the bad. Paul wrote, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

These principles have been proven true and valuable for generations. They will work for you. Try them.