Don't worry; give it to God

Right now, with everything going on in the world, it is incredibly easy to become worried or stressed, whether from national issues or personal concerns. Will I be able to afford groceries next month? How will I pay for Christmas? Who should I vote for? What if the other person wins the election? How are the people who were just affected by the hurricanes? The list goes on. Almost every time I open my phone, this is all I see, which makes it ten times easier to feel worried and distracted. But God does not want us to worry. Matthew 6:34 (CSB) states, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

So, how can we stop worrying? It’s simple: focus on God. Focus on doing good in a world full of evil. Focus on helping those who need it, and focus on what you can control rather than what you can’t. You can control your emotions, your thoughts, and your beliefs. Hebrews 12:2 (CSB) states, “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

You can also look to the end. God has already won the battle for us, so why are we so worried or upset about everything happening when He has already won? The first time I started reading the book of Revelation, I felt worried and scared. All of these things are going to happen? This is really frightening. So I decided, in the middle of reading, to turn to the end of the book. I flipped my Bible to the end of Revelation, and it spoke about the new heaven God created and how wonderful it will be for all of us. You should do this too; after all, it is where we will one day be living.

So, what can we do to become better at not worrying about life? Pray. Praying allows you to be real with God, and you can give your worries to Him. Talk to God about your problems, and tell Him what you are struggling with. Say, “God, I do not know what to do, so I am giving it to You.” Ask for His guidance and commit to doing what He wants you to do. And don’t forget to thank Him for all He has done for you and will continue to do. Psalm 55:22 (CSB) states, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”