Stress, anxiety & Worry
Stress, anxiety and worry can divide our families, and those feelings will never end here on this Earth, no matter what stage of life we’re in (Matthew 6:25-34). Stress takes us to places we never wanted to be, and we react emotionally when we are overwhelmed. In fact, some of our greatest failures come out of those places. God knows what we need and is actively involved in making those needs come to fruition. He invites us to intentionally give our anxiety to Him, and it’s up to us to continue to worry or to take the step and trust instead (1 Peter 5:7). A mind consumed by stress can’t fully find joy in the moment, and a divided mind is never fully present (Matthew 13:22; Luke 21:34). The root of anxiety is unbelief that He is good, faithful, with us, etc. — so let’s choose to believe in His goodness that never changes. We can worry or trust, but we can’t do both at the same time. Our level of peace is directly related to our trust in God, and there are a number of things we can do to make that happen: Pray and meditation on scripture (Psalm 119:11); name those fears and expose them to the light; and listen to the right voices (Proverbs 12:25; Isaiah 26:3).
2) What does it mean to continually cast my care on Him?
3) Do I tend to worry or trust God? How can I work on trusting in His goodness?