Blog – 2-26-20 God has been working overtime to get my attention on the subject of worry this week. In my last blog I wrote about choosing faith over fear, and this week it felt like everywhere I turned I was reading the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke to not worry. The Luke version reads: Don’t let worry enter your life. Live above the anxious cares about your personal needs. People everywhere seem to worry about making a living, but your heavenly Father knows your every need and will take care of you. Each and every day he will supply your needs as you seek his kingdom passionately, above all else. So don’t ever be afraid, dearest friends! Luke 12:29-32 (TPT) Such beautiful words from our Lord and Savior. I’ve read them hundreds of times. I know this and believe it to be 100 percent true. But yet……..worry creeps in. As I was researching the bible to find passages to go along with this topic, I read these words and they stopped me in my tracks: So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you? Luke 12:26 (TPT) Such a simple but truth-filled question, why? Why do you worry? If I confess and believe that God is in control, that His love for me is perfect, that His Son died for me so I can live with Him in eternity, what do I have to worry about? And do I really have any right to question God’s care of me? I’m wrestling with this, so please bear with me. Because if I’m honest, I do question God’s care of me at times, which leads to worry. And sometimes I worry a LOT! I worry about finances. I worry about our boys. I worry about my dogs getting older and passing on. I worry about people not showing up at events. I worry about health issues and hard times people I love are going through. I WORRY! I have written songs about this, taught on this subject, convinced myself time and time again that I shouldn’t worry, but somehow that old familiar feeling creeps back into my spirit. When I read the words above, “why would you worry about God’s care of you,” I felt God’s gentle nudging once again. He revealed simple truth that when I worry, I’m essentially saying I don’t trust Him. When I worry, I’m saying that I don’t believe His love is enough. When I worry, I am forgetting all that He has already done for me in the past. And the biggest issue that’s true for me and probably most of you is that worry is me trying to control the uncontrollable. Truth is, we all know that worry is useless. It has never once solved a problem. It has never once added value to anyone’s life. All it does is steal our joy and keep us stuck in anxiousness and unrest. It is nothing but a total waste of our time. So I am choosing today to shut down the voice of worry. When anxious thoughts enter my brain, I am arming myself with a simple phrase, “God’s got it.” Simple, to the point, and helps me get my mind back on track. I invite you to join me on this quest to shut worry down! When worry starts spinning around nonstop in your brain, arm yourself with this phrase or make one up that works for you. Then use it! You might have to say it 100 times a day to make it stick, but that’s okay! Let’s continue to remind ourselves, “God is in control, so WHY WORRY!” Hugs and love, Jill