MILTON MONDAY: STOP WORRYING AND START LIVING

Worry is one of life’s biggest downers. It debilitates and hinders people from achieving and enjoying God’s best. Jesus taught us specifically in the Sermon on the Mount that it is not His will, and it is unprofitable to worry. Worry leads to all manner of sickness and disease—heart, blood pressure, rheumatism, digestion problems, colds and flu, thyroid, diabetic issues, and on the list goes. Worry keeps us from functioning at our highest level. It simply does not accomplish a thing.

Now I suppose you are asking, “Preacher, so tell me, have you ever worried?” Regrettably I have worried more than I want to confess. However, I am learning daily that it is better to give my burdens and questions about tomorrow to God. He has promised He would take care of us, so we do well to give Him our needs.

How do you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Keep busy to crowd worry out of you mind.
2. Don’t let the little things—the trifles or mere termites ruin your happiness.
3. Use the law of averages to outlaw your worries. Ask yourself: “What are the odds of this thing happening at all?"

If the circumstance is beyond your power to change or revise, don’t be frustrated or worry over it. Cooperate with the inevitable. Move on to what you can actually do about it.

Put a “stop loss" order on your worries. Decide how much the anxiety is worth and refuse to give it any more. Some things just aren't worth it.

Let the past bury its dead. Don’t saw sawdust.

Most of all, pray and give it to God. Why worry when you can pray?

Jesus gave the cure for worry in Matthew 6:25-34. I encourage you to read it today. Seek His Kingdom and all of your needs will be met. He has promised it.