“Worry Is Killing My Faith” 8/244

Have you noticed that 99% of the things you worry about don’t ever happen?

    It’s funny, but I was actually taking about three days to fully think out this question and one of my worries made it into the 1% category—my car died this week! In the meantime, though, I have to agree with the question. I worry about too many things (most of which are TBA in the future I might add):

    I worry that my car will die soon (not anymore! what a relief!).

Do you know how much energy I spent every day when I got in my car just worrying about whether it would die soon? It is exhausting! I would much rather jump in my car from a long day’s work and just laugh when it sputters and squeals and thank God for giving me a car in the first place.

    I worry constantly about whether I am pleasing God.

God does not need me to please him. He has 10,000 angels shouting praises around his throne. In fact he was completely pleased with existing by himself before he created the world or even the angels. I am not that important in the big picture. Is worrying about my works before God in every waking moment really how God wants me to live? It’s more like torture because I know I can never please him fully. So do I just quit offering my works? Or am I content with offering my two bits (as much as I have in me every day to give) just like the poor widow and her offering?

    I worry that I won’t have enough to pay the bills by the end of the summer (and also post-college debt).

Am I so insignificant that God does not know my need? I am his child. If I am meant to pay the bills completely, he will bless me with enough energy, hours, and opportunities to work to be able to pay it. And if I can’t pay it, what more could God teach me spiritually through that circumstance than if all the bills were paid for comfortably? God is after my heart and nothing else. He wants to grow my faith. My only real need is food (which I have in abundance), and unconditional love (which I also have in abundance).

    I worry that I will be unfaithful in my marriage because sexual temptation while I’m dating is so strong.

Part of this fear has to do with higher and higher levels of temptation as I mature in Christ. I look at Job and see his maturity and how Satan had to take away his family, friends, and all his possessions just to tempt him. But I also know that God will not allow me to be tempted “above that which I am able” and that more importantly I have the Holy Spirit that can fight for me on request in any situation.

    I worry that I will fail in almost any situation.

    Fear of failure is one of my deepest challenges. It keeps me from taking risks. It keeps me from going deep with God. It keeps me from standing up for Christ in the workplace. It keeps me from witnessing. The only reason I fail is because I am trying not to fail. If I sit in apathy, I will most assuredly fail. But if I push myself beyond my limits and into faith on God for my success, I will succeed in this life (even if I sometimes fail in the daily battles) because I will have won the bigger war of giving God glory.