A couple of weeks ago, I heard a friend talk about a difficult work situation. She wasn’t sleeping well, and too much of her energy was spent worrying about circumstances she could not control. She had prayed about it—more than once, but troubled thoughts continued to fill her mind when she tried to find rest. She couldn’t seem to let the worry go.
Several years ago, I had a thyroid biopsy. I have nodules on my thyroid and am ultrasound showed that one of them had grown since my previous test. As I waited to get the results, I worried, I imagined the worst, and I let anxiety take over my mind and body when I tried to sleep. I prayed about it—more than once, but I couldn’t seem to let the fear and worry go. I even became annoyed with my husband, because he didn’t seem concerned at all. Why wasn’t he worried? Didn’t he care?
I finally asked him why he didn’t seem concerned about my health and he replied, “Did you pray about it?”
“Yes,” I answered.
He looked at me and said, “Then let it go.”
My husband’s words held so much truth. If I had prayed about my concerns, and had really turned them over to God, I should have been filled with the peace and assurance that God was in control. I hadn’t done that. I had prayed about the situation and asked God for help, and then continued to hold on tight to my worry. I didn’t let God take my burden and carry it for me. I didn’t act like I trusted God to handle whatever happened. I couldn’t seem to “let go, and let God.”
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7
I’ve always been a worrier. I don’t like it and I know it’s not what God wants for me; and yet, I still worry. But I’m working on it. I want to completely trust God to handle everything in my life. I want to pray about my concerns and then let Him have them. I want to be able to say, “I’ve given that to God and now I’m going to let it go.”
When my friend spoke of her worries about work, I felt a nudge telling me this was a topic I needed to write about—but not just for her. This is a message I need to be reminded of everyday. I needed to write this for me.
God can handle our fears and anxieties, and He will take care of all our needs. We just need to trust Him. If we do, we will experience a peace that is beyond our understanding.
How about you? Are you a worrier? Or are you able to let go of all your worries and give them to God?
Be blessed!
Note: My test results were fine. The nodule was benign.