Why Worry?

ON WORRY AND ANXIETY

 

“Anxiety [worry] in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a

good word makes him glad.” (Proverbs 12:25, RSV)

 

According to Ron Clarke there is an organization in America

known as the Pennsylvania Worry Group. It was founded by a

professor of psychology in order to study the question of worry,

and to research ways by which worriers can be helped. It revealed

some interesting facts. For instance, 15 percent of the population

spend half their waking hours worrying; and more than thirteen

million Americans of eighteen years of age and over suffer from

anxiety disorders. And women worry more than men.

 

The definition of a worrier, says Clarke, is someone who worries more

than ninety minutes a day. All of us worry at some time and some

people worry all the time. We worry about health, the family,

work, money, and about things like unemployment and the

environment.

 

It is one thing to be concerned but another thing entirely to be

worried and to be a worrier. As Vance Havner said, “Worry is like

a rocking chair. It will keep you busy but won’t get you anywhere!”

Well, actually, it will. If you worry long enough, you will become

physically ill as well as frustrating to those you are closest to.

 

“There was a poster that said, ‘Don’t worry, it may never happen’,

and across it someone had scrawled, ‘It already has. What do I do now’?”

 

The fact is that most of the things we worry about never happen.

And others, because of our worrying, we cause them to happen!

 

The antidote? Learning to trust implicitly in God no matter what.

Admittedly, we need to get to the root cause of our worrying and

anxiety and resolve these. At the same time, learning to trust in

God is a choice and the more we do the less we will worry and be

anxious.

 

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to face and resolve the

causes of my worrying and anxiety and learn to trust you fully.

With your help I choose to do this no matter what. Gratefully in

Jesus’ name. Amen.”