How to Break the Worry Habit

//Lynette Hagin

There's a story I like about a little boy named Ralph. Ralph was head-over-heels in trouble, but he was doing little to help himself. A friend advised him, "Ralph, you've got two hands. Why don't you do something?"

"I am!" Ralph replied, "I'm wringing them!"

This story makes us laugh, but how many of us are like Ralph? We're walking around wringing our hands, even though it doesn't do us any good.

In our world today, worry has become a way of life. Sometimes we don't even understand what has us stressed out, but worry will still devour our energy, peace, joy, and happiness. It can even affect our health.

Did you know that worry is actually faith in the negative? It is belief in defeat. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us that we worry because we don't have faith in God.

MATTHEW 6:25, 30–31, 33 (NIV)
25 "Therefore I tell you, DO NOT WORRY about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . .
30 If . . . God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—YOU OF LITTLE FAITH?
31 So DO NOT WORRY. . . .
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Notice that God is not suggesting that we not worry. He's giving us a command! Have faith, and do not worry!

How many of us would say, "That's easier said than done!" Worry is a tough habit to break. But I want to give you some keys that will help you.

1. Rejoice in the Lord

First of all, we must rejoice in the Lord! Philippians 4:4 (NIV) says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

When Paul wrote this to the Philippians, he was in prison. He was chained 24 hours a day to a Roman soldier and faced possible execution. He had a marvelous opportunity to be worried. Instead, he encouraged the Philippians to rejoice.

If some of us were in that situation, we'd have written, "Grumble in the Lord always. I will say it again: Grumble! Poor old me!" But Paul could rejoice because he trusted the Lord to work everything out for his good.

Likewise, if we'll keep our eyes on the Lord and rejoice, we won't have to be concerned. Our trust is in God, not man, and He will give us wisdom and show us what to do in every situation.

2. Develop an Un-Anxious Attitude

In the dangerous world we live in, it's so easy to become anxious and think, "Something bad is going to happen to me." However, we need to develop an un-anxious attitude. Philippians 4:6 in the Amplified Bible says, "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God."

When we give our requests to God, we don't have to be anxious. The Word promises that He's going to take care of it all! When we're tempted to become anxious, we should look to the Scriptures.

I quote Psalm 91 nearly every day and it says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps. 91:1 NLT). The Amplified Bible adds, "Whose power no foe can withstand."

If we rest in the power of the Almighty—in His shelter—nothing can come against us! We don't have to have an anxious attitude when we trust in Him.

3. Develop a Lifestyle of Prayer

Have you ever heard people say, "Well, I did everything possible, and then I just had to pray." Hello . . . pray first! The third key to breaking the worry habit is to develop a lifestyle of prayer. Instead of panicking, pray so much that worry has to take a backseat!

Remember Paul and Silas when they were in prison? At midnight they prayed and sang praises to God, and an earthquake shook open the prison doors (Acts 16:24–26).

If we'll pray and sing praises in our midnight hour, the prison doors of our lives will be opened! Our prayer doesn't have to be elegant. When I pray, I simply say, "God, I've got a problem. I need You to help me." In certain situations I'll even pray, "God, You called me to the ministry. I didn't call myself. You sent me here, You told me to do this, and You're going to have to do something about it!"

You see, God is right there to give us the answers we need. He is there to help us with every little detail of our lives. But we have to ask Him for help. John 16:24 says, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." God hears our requests, and when we replace worry with prayer, our joy will be full!

4. Cast Your Cares

Finally, if we want to break the worry habit we must learn to cast our cares on the Lord. First Peter 5:7 (Amplified) says, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

This verse tells us to cast all of our cares upon the Lord—not just a part of them. You see, God wants us to live stress-free, peaceful, joyful lives. But we'll not do so until we learn to cast our cares.

Learning how to cast our cares on the Lord is similar in ways to learning how to cast a fishing line. The first time we cast our cares, it may be a total catastrophe! We may feel as if we're getting the fishhooks snagged in our hair. But we have to keep on casting. The more we cast our cares on the Lord, the more we will experience His peace.

Satan loves to get us so entangled in the worries, stress, and cares of life that we can no longer concentrate on our Father's business. But we can break the worry habit and rise to the level God has destined for us. We can experience His joy in every area of our lives!

>>MAKE A LIST
Make a list of all the things that have you worried today. Then find scriptures to stand on in each of those situations. When the enemy brings negative thoughts, just quote him the Word and rejoice. God will renew your strength and see you through!