Worrying too much

[Lanolin]

It's probably a sin, and we should tell God all our cares and concerns I know.
But do you also tell other people what you are worried about and does it help? Or do you pretend and say 'everything's fine' when it's not.
Cos it might be too much to burden people with your problems.
Or are you genuinely worry-free? That would be nice, also, it's better for your brow to keep it crease free.

As for solving other peoples problems, I can't do that, as I can't control what other people do, or have all the answers. Maybe its just the thing 'you are not alone! or me too! or...its ok, join the club! I am not the only person in the entire world with this problem.

To be carefree, is sometimes in the world they claim you can have peace of mind only after you've bought comprehensive insurance that's super expensive or built a bunker underneath your house in the event of nuclear war....with stockpiled food and ammo. Yes some people actually do this! Especially if you've been told by others/the media/your church 'The world is going to end soon!'

Do you trust God for everything, and say 'God's got this,' everything's gonna be ok, and whatever happens it's gonna slide off you like eggs out of an well-oiled pan.. but if you take it too far and ignore the warnings...if a tsunami really is coming, you wanna have ringside seat by the coast, because you might reason nothing bad is EVER going to happen to you.. it might happen to others, but it won't to you. Hearts don't break, people don't die, and children don't have accidents and your house will never collapse like a deck of cards made of gib wood... and all this digital screen exposure is not gonna give you radiation poisoning.

Is ignorance bliss? Because we do have a large ignore button on this site. Maybe the world's ending doom is just a scare tactic? After all, we are still alive and breathing. I wish I could reassure everyone, but sometimes it just hurts to see people suffer and not be able to do much. Whatever they are going through, is their cross to bear, and if they don't want to give it all to Jesus, then maybe telling others is the only way they know someone may help.

 

[passion84god]

Or are you genuinely worry-free? That would be nice, also, it's better for your brow to keep it crease free.

That would be nice, but it is never the case with me. For one thing, I work in sales, and my salary is normally totally commission-based. If I don't sell, then I don't get paid, so there is always something to potentially worry about there. It gets even worse when I don't get enough sleep. For example, I just finished a few days of training. On the first day, I worked 11 hours, and then I found out that I needed to take a 3-hour-long online course to qualify for a Food Handler's License when I got back to my hotel room. I definitely wasn't happy about that. The next day, I worked very long hours again, and the people in the hotel room next to me had a drunken party that night that lasted until the early morning hours of the next day. Drunks were knocking on my door all night long because they couldn't remember what room the party was in, so I hardly slept at all. Yesterday, I put in a 12 hour and 45 minute day, and I didn't sleep well again last night. I have a long ride home later on this morning, and I will have to pray fervently to God for the strength to just make the trip back home.

There are all sorts of other worries too. Like being worried about my own spiritual condition and the souls of loved ones who are presently lost. Through it all, I have definitely learned that apart from Christ, I can do nothing. I literally rely on God's help and strength for everything, and prayer is a regular part of my daily routine. It would be nice to have even a single worry-free day, but I cannot remember the last time that I had one of those.​

 

[Gideon300]

It's probably a sin, and we should tell God all our cares and concerns I know.
But do you also tell other people what you are worried about and does it help? Or do you pretend and say 'everything's fine' when it's not.
Cos it might be too much to burden people with your problems.
Or are you genuinely worry-free? That would be nice, also, it's better for your brow to keep it crease free.

As for solving other peoples problems, I can't do that, as I can't control what other people do, or have all the answers. Maybe its just the thing 'you are not alone! or me too! or...its ok, join the club! I am not the only person in the entire world with this problem.

To be carefree, is sometimes in the world they claim you can have peace of mind only after you've bought comprehensive insurance that's super expensive or built a bunker underneath your house in the event of nuclear war....with stockpiled food and ammo. Yes some people actually do this! Especially if you've been told by others/the media/your church 'The world is going to end soon!'

Do you trust God for everything, and say 'God's got this,' everything's gonna be ok, and whatever happens it's gonna slide off you like eggs out of an well-oiled pan.. but if you take it too far and ignore the warnings...if a tsunami really is coming, you wanna have ringside seat by the coast, because you might reason nothing bad is EVER going to happen to you.. it might happen to others, but it won't to you. Hearts don't break, people don't die, and children don't have accidents and your house will never collapse like a deck of cards made of gib wood... and all this digital screen exposure is not gonna give you radiation poisoning.

Is ignorance bliss? Because we do have a large ignore button on this site. Maybe the world's ending doom is just a scare tactic? After all, we are still alive and breathing. I wish I could reassure everyone, but sometimes it just hurts to see people suffer and not be able to do much. Whatever they are going through, is their cross to bear, and if they don't want to give it all to Jesus, then maybe telling others is the only way they know someone may help.

The amazing Derek Prince suffered depression in his early Christian life. He went through many difficult times in his long life. He won the victory through one verse, Romans 8:28:

"And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."

I know in my own life that bad decisions or wrong attitudes have brought me grief. I also have seen God work to bring good out some terrible situations. It took me a long time to trust God completely. At some time we have to see that God is good no matter how it seems to us at the time. And that will come if we focus on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.​

 

[Lynx]

There is a difference between concern and worry.

My father is currently pretty much dying. Doctor says maybe 2 years. Maybe. Am I concerned about this? Definitely! He's my dad. Am I worried about it? Nope. It won't do any good anyway. I can't do a thing about it.

Worry is when I keep trying to figure out how to fix something, but I can't fix it, but I keep trying to figure it out anyway. Worry tries to deny the inevitable. Worry is the result of lying to myself.

I am really concerned about dad, but I can't do anything about it, so I'm moving on with life and doing stuff I can do. I'm not sitting around worrying about something I can't affect in any way.

Worry is a thief. It steals your time and energy, and doesn't give you a thing in the world for it.

 

[Kainos]

Always be sure to differentiate between worry and concern. Worry is an emotional fear. While concern is the practical awareness of a situation which requires attention.

There is no fear (emotional worry) in love, because fear over an uncertain future has no basis when God's absolute authority over all of creation is intertwined with the faith and conviction of those who love Him. When the trust that nothing happens outside of God's ultimate knowledge and purposeful governance has been established, worrying about worst-case scenarios becomes trivial.

Concern never goes away though. We all recognise how uncertain future outcomes could be troubling. But unlike worry, which is a paralysing, fear-based state, which discourages us to dwell on things beyond our control, concern is a solution-oriented state which prompts constructive action, acting as a rational trigger to evaluate a risk, while seeking God's guidance for navigating obstacles and challenges.

I was recently called out by a 'perfect' man who confused my concern for worry, the sin of not trusting God. Even after explanation, he either couldn't or wouldn't perceive the difference.

 

[Lynx]

Short version:

Concern prompted me to start a Roth IRA.

Worry would keep me awake at night over how that Roth IRA is doing.

 

[passion84god]

I am kind of embarrassed to ask this, but could any of you please say a prayer for me? After I posted earlier, I took the hotel elevator down to the first floor to get some breakfast, and I almost passed out because of how tired I was. I had to hold on to the railing in the elevator to keep from toppling over into other people. I did awake from about an hour long nap just a few minutes ago, but I am still pretty tired, and I need to check out of the hotel in about 20 minutes. I have a long drive home ahead of me, and I am hoping that I make it. I will take precautions, like driving in the right lane in case I have to pull over suddenly, but if any of you could please pray that God gives me the strength to make it home, it would mean a lot to me. Thank you.​

 

[JohnDB]

Phillipians 4:6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8;Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

 

[Suze]

It's probably a sin, and we should tell God all our cares and concerns I know.
But do you also tell other people what you are worried about and does it help? Or do you pretend and say 'everything's fine' when it's not.
Cos it might be too much to burden people with your problems.
Or are you genuinely worry-free? That would be nice, also, it's better for your brow to keep it crease free.

As for solving other peoples problems, I can't do that, as I can't control what other people do, or have all the answers. Maybe its just the thing 'you are not alone! or me too! or...its ok, join the club! I am not the only person in the entire world with this problem.

To be carefree, is sometimes in the world they claim you can have peace of mind only after you've bought comprehensive insurance that's super expensive or built a bunker underneath your house in the event of nuclear war....with stockpiled food and ammo. Yes some people actually do this! Especially if you've been told by others/the media/your church 'The world is going to end soon!'

Do you trust God for everything, and say 'God's got this,' everything's gonna be ok, and whatever happens it's gonna slide off you like eggs out of an well-oiled pan.. but if you take it too far and ignore the warnings...if a tsunami really is coming, you wanna have ringside seat by the coast, because you might reason nothing bad is EVER going to happen to you.. it might happen to others, but it won't to you. Hearts don't break, people don't die, and children don't have accidents and your house will never collapse like a deck of cards made of gib wood... and all this digital screen exposure is not gonna give you radiation poisoning.

Is ignorance bliss? Because we do have a large ignore button on this site. Maybe the world's ending doom is just a scare tactic? After all, we are still alive and breathing. I wish I could reassure everyone, but sometimes it just hurts to see people suffer and not be able to do much. Whatever they are going through, is their cross to bear, and if they don't want to give it all to Jesus, then maybe telling others is the only way they know someone may help.

I cannot lie and say I'm sorry free , but I don't worry about a lot . I worry about my cat when she doesn't eat much , I worry that hubby doesn't look after himself as well as he could.......trying to think about something else I worry about but can't . There's no point at all worrying about death , I've been very close once or twice and I felt quite calm about it . It's going to happen to us all unless Christ returns while we r still alive . I've watched my mum and step dad get old and it hasn't been much fun for them , physical discomfort and embarrassment about disability and illness issues etc . I think maybe I wouldn't mind going b 4 the rot sets in . I would like to live long enough to look after my cat Amy .
I think it's helpful to look back through our lives and recognise where God interviened on our behalf and helped us . This should increase our faith in Him and help us to not worry so much . When we remember all the times we were in dire straits but guess what ? Everything turned out for the best in the end ! That wasn't luck , that was God . So , if He's been taking care of us and looking after us all through our lives , why would He suddenly stop ? He won't .
Recently I was worried about how inheriting at least 30 grand when my mum dies , was going to negatively affect my life in the future and , how the prospect of inheriting it was affecting my life in the present . These worries were for the most part in the back of my mind until I got a powerful feeling that I should not inherit this money so , I prayed about it and then asked my mum to write me out of her will which she did and , I've felt as if I'm floating on a cloud since then . I'm so much more relaxed , less stressed and very calm since it was sorted . I'm convinced I did the right thing in God's eyes . My mum was able to leave it to her carer instead and that made them both happy so , we r all happy now . We must grow in our faith towards God , so that when the real tough times come , we can stay calm and close to Him .

 

[Lanolin]

Some platitudes that people often give to encourage you
As they say
'Keep calm and carry on'
Or 'just get on with it'
Don't think about it now, think about it tomorrow
Live one day at a time

Don't worry about what others think...you do you
It's not your problem

Laughter is the best medicine
Smile there's no use in crying, life will be worthwhile if you just smile
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger
Don't sweat the small stuff, as it's really small stuff

Sometimes these help, sometimes they don't, especially in face of immense suffering and pain (that's why many people turn to drugs)

Some scriptures ---

All things work together for the good of those who love God, by those who are called according to His purpose
Cast your cares upon God for he cares for you

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

There is no fear in love, perfect love casts out all fear
I will never leave you nor forsake you

Psalm 23, Psalm 91

Your own problems, you can turn to Christ, that is the privilege and blessing of the believer. Jesus came in the flesh and suffered just like us, and understood suffering, and healed people. You can pray for others also, especially those who ask for prayers. You can put on God's armour, to face the world. You can resist the devil.

Everything else though, theres not that much you can do other than - advocate, raise awareness, donate money, time, write it out, sing, entertain, distract, eat comfort foods... some of us need to keep doing these things, as therapy, find routine, give back

I had fallen into trap of ruminating and going over past regrets and it took me a long time to see the light at the end of the tunnel, climb out of the hole or as some put it, cry a river, build a bridge, and GET OVER IT. When you are in the trap, you cry out 'throw me a bone (if hungry) or a rope (so you can climb out) but sometimes you feel like you can't cry out, or if you do, nobody's around to hear. The calvary is late in coming... your bones are bruised and broken, you're sleep deprived, you're feel like you're the only one with huge burden on your shoulders

If you know the truth, the truth shall set you free. So sometimes it's on someone to tell you the truth. And when it comes to the crunch you may have to do something brave/courageous and cast out all fear, knowing God has got this. Don't stay in denial and lie to yourself, take the first step

Quite a job thats causing you grief, leave someone who's abusing you, get others to help who are better trained - you are not someone's slave!
Many hands make light work, and God forgives a debt you can't pay, so you can forgive others, and even then...if you can't find it in your heart to forgive, God says vengeance is mine, I will repay...so you don't have to think of ways to get back at people...
And when the going gets rough...take a nap. It really helps. Jesus did, in a storm.

I am writing this down as a reminder to myself, and you, like the footsteps in the sand, or the valley of the shadow of death, the Shepherd looks after his own and will leave the 99 to find the one that went astray.

 

[Lanolin]

I was under a lot of pressure and stress recently, having to make decisions, maybe take risks, go where I've never been to before.
And then I thought, huh why worry about the future, I can't do anything about that, or even my own future - thats for God (and we are predestined to be with Him anyway)
Some people say, well if you don't do this, you will drift, if you don't have a job, you'll always be poor, and then I think, I will find a job when I'm ready. I am not married or bound to anyone, so...nobody can control my life. Family can be a life line, but also, family obligations can tie you up. So sometimes in those situations (people say...count your blessings!!) you just keep going to get through whatever it is..(people say..one step forward, two steps back, and then you realise you're doing the moonwalk)

One day I'm going to look back on this and laugh
But sometimes little old me is laughing and crying at the same time, going it's not funny, and laughing even harder. Then the new me is crying tears of joy, make it make sense

 

[Karlon]

It's probably a sin, and we should tell God all our cares and concerns I know.
But do you also tell other people what you are worried about and does it help? Or do you pretend and say 'everything's fine' when it's not.
Cos it might be too much to burden people with your problems.
Or are you genuinely worry-free? That would be nice, also, it's better for your brow to keep it crease free.

As for solving other peoples problems, I can't do that, as I can't control what other people do, or have all the answers. Maybe its just the thing 'you are not alone! or me too! or...its ok, join the club! I am not the only person in the entire world with this problem.

To be carefree, is sometimes in the world they claim you can have peace of mind only after you've bought comprehensive insurance that's super expensive or built a bunker underneath your house in the event of nuclear war....with stockpiled food and ammo. Yes some people actually do this! Especially if you've been told by others/the media/your church 'The world is going to end soon!'

Do you trust God for everything, and say 'God's got this,' everything's gonna be ok, and whatever happens it's gonna slide off you like eggs out of an well-oiled pan.. but if you take it too far and ignore the warnings...if a tsunami really is coming, you wanna have ringside seat by the coast, because you might reason nothing bad is EVER going to happen to you.. it might happen to others, but it won't to you. Hearts don't break, people don't die, and children don't have accidents and your house will never collapse like a deck of cards made of gib wood... and all this digital screen exposure is not gonna give you radiation poisoning.

Is ignorance bliss? Because we do have a large ignore button on this site. Maybe the world's ending doom is just a scare tactic? After all, we are still alive and breathing. I wish I could reassure everyone, but sometimes it just hurts to see people suffer and not be able to do much. Whatever they are going through, is their cross to bear, and if they don't want to give it all to Jesus, then maybe telling others is the only way they know someone may help.

worrying is a sin, not probably. i taught myself not to worry back in the 90's when i heard a pastor say; "either you worry or you worship". i thought that was super & i adopted it into my life. then later, i heard a woman say, about the 1st time she let her child out to p[layb by himself that she wasn't worried byut concerned. worrying is thinking on a subject with negative tones. concerned is thinking about a subject with positive tones including common sense, protection, love, safeguarding, faith, trust & belief everything will end positively right.

 

[Suze]

I actually find it really hard to know how to comfort someone who is worried about something if they r not a Christian . I used to b able to do it , before I knew the truth but now , I'm so very conscious of the fact that it is only God that can ease my heart and mind , I'm at a loss to find the right words to comfort an atheist / idolator . For me , there is no comfort or peace from anyone or anything of this world . God is my rock and if He isn't yours then I just don't know what to say to try to cheer someone up . I do try but my words sound so hollow and empty to me . If u r not a Christian then I haven't a clue how to comfort u or what to say to give u some hope because God is my only comfort and my hope is always in Him and His mercy and love . I have tried to mention this to my atheist family and friends but it doesn't sit well with them and I do understand why . It has taken me just over 30 years to get to where I am in my walk to God's Kingdom , so for me to expect my words to have any positive effect on none believers is probably a bit stupid of me . The older I get the more I feel a distance between me and people who r not Christians , I feel quite emotionally disconnected from them . I can still have empathy and cry with them and give hugs etc but , I cannot find any words that might help them because the only words that help me r God's Words .

 

[Lanolin]

I actually find it really hard to know how to comfort someone who is worried about something if they r not a Christian . I used to b able to do it , before I knew the truth but now , I'm so very conscious of the fact that it is only God that can ease my heart and mind , I'm at a loss to find the right words to comfort an atheist / idolator . For me , there is no comfort or peace from anyone or anything of this world . God is my rock and if He isn't yours then I just don't know what to say to try to cheer someone up . I do try but my words sound so hollow and empty to me . If u r not a Christian then I haven't a clue how to comfort u or what to say to give u some hope because God is my only comfort and my hope is always in Him and His mercy and love . I have tried to mention this to my atheist family and friends but it doesn't sit well with them and I do understand why . It has taken me just over 30 years to get to where I am in my walk to God's Kingdom , so for me to expect my words to have any positive effect on none believers is probably a bit stupid of me . The older I get the more I feel a distance between me and people who r not Christians , I feel quite emotionally disconnected from them . I can still have empathy and cry with them and give hugs etc but , I cannot find any words that might help them because the only words that help me r God's Words .

That's true, with my mum.
She was worried that when she went, I wouldn't survive without her around to pamper me and feed me, (It was like I was her pet child, who unfortunately grew up). I think in the end she learned to accept it, but it was hard to see her suffer still. I could say don't worry, but could tell if she was still worried, and then I would start worrying about it, because, well our mother/daughter bond was so strong it was almost suffocating.
But at some point when she knew she was going to go, and it didn't matter so much, just as long as she was comfortable, well as comfortable as you can be when you are dying. Hospice was a God-send, she had a really lovely nurse who knew what to say and how to handle her - mum wasn't always patient! Long-suffering, well, who goes through life without suffering?

My dad is very happy go-lucky type, and didn't let it affect or bother him too much. But then mum was worried he didn't worry about her! Worry, or maybe more concern, was showing someone you cared.
I think she learned in the end, that worry can make yourself sick. I tend to catastrophise things cos I learned if I did something wrong, it would be the end of the world and I could die. I learned or was shown this as a child. My parents had the power of life or death in their tongue. If you don't believe in God or a higher power, then the only way of thinking is that you are God and you have to believe in yourself.

 

[Lanolin]

She would tell me God doesn't care about me, *I* care about you.

 

[Lanolin]

Also...look after yourself. For many people they don't really know how, are too consumed or busy looking after others to look after themselves. Self-care and self-help is a big industry these days. It helps if you have a cushion, like savings etc. But that's also can be a burden, like some don't want a huge inheritance hanging over them, or the responsibility, eg power of attorney, caregiving duties etc.
I think that's true of both milestones in life, for example, getting married, having children or looking after the elderly or both (sandwich generation)

 

[passion84god]

I saw some praying hands in response to my posts. Just so you know, I did arrive home safely about an hour and a half ago. I did need to stop a few times along the way, but I am safe and sound. Not too sure about the sound part.

A sincere thank you to anyone who prayed for me. I humbly appreciate it.​

 

[zeroturbulence]

That's true, with my mum.
She was worried that when she went, I wouldn't survive without her around to pamper me and feed me, (It was like I was her pet child, who unfortunately grew up). I think in the end she learned to accept it, but it was hard to see her suffer still. I could say don't worry, but could tell if she was still worried, and then I would start worrying about it, because, well our mother/daughter bond was so strong it was almost suffocating.
But at some point when she knew she was going to go, and it didn't matter so much, just as long as she was comfortable, well as comfortable as you can be when you are dying. Hospice was a God-send, she had a really lovely nurse who knew what to say and how to handle her - mum wasn't always patient! Long-suffering, well, who goes through life without suffering?

My dad is very happy go-lucky type, and didn't let it affect or bother him too much. But then mum was worried he didn't worry about her! Worry, or maybe more concern, was showing someone you cared.
I think she learned in the end, that worry can make yourself sick. I tend to catastrophise things cos I learned if I did something wrong, it would be the end of the world and I could die. I learned or was shown this as a child. My parents had the power of life or death in their tongue. If you don't believe in God or a higher power, then the only way of thinking is that you are God and you have to believe in yourself.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Lanolin]

So sorry for your loss.

I've now joined the dead mum's club.

Thankfully am not a true orphan, but will happen at some point, unless I go first.

 

[Karlon]

I actually find it really hard to know how to comfort someone who is worried about something if they r not a Christian . I used to b able to do it , before I knew the truth but now , I'm so very conscious of the fact that it is only God that can ease my heart and mind , I'm at a loss to find the right words to comfort an atheist / idolator . For me , there is no comfort or peace from anyone or anything of this world . God is my rock and if He isn't yours then I just don't know what to say to try to cheer someone up . I do try but my words sound so hollow and empty to me . If u r not a Christian then I haven't a clue how to comfort u or what to say to give u some hope because God is my only comfort and my hope is always in Him and His mercy and love . I have tried to mention this to my atheist family and friends but it doesn't sit well with them and I do understand why . It has taken me just over 30 years to get to where I am in my walk to God's Kingdom , so for me to expect my words to have any positive effect on none believers is probably a bit stupid of me . The older I get the more I feel a distance between me and people who r not Christians , I feel quite emotionally disconnected from them . I can still have empathy and cry with them and give hugs etc but , I cannot find any words that might help them because the only words that help me r God's Words .

talk about Jesus to the atheist. how He die for our sins to be forgiven, loves us unconditionally, that we have life everlasting & how He answers prayer.