Do not worry, God is on your side

'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' – Isaiah 41:10

In life, when faced with challenging situations or when things are starting to get difficult, we often begin to worry about how to deal with them. Sometimes we worry about almost everything, our finances, our children, broken relationships or the future. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus questions the usefulness of worrying. He asked, 'Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?' 

Jesus points out that it is useless to engage our minds in worrying. He shows us that God is capable of taking good care of us more than He takes care of little things, such as the birds of the air. Worrying does not benefit us in any way. Think about it this way: when you worry, it is like carrying a bag with holes in it. As you walk, you pick up stones along the way, which you pack in the bag. Each stone you pick represents your worries and anxieties. Am I really enough? What do I do now? What will I eat and wear? Will I make it tomorrow? How will I make it another day without the funds? What will people say about me? Will they like me? As you continue to store these stones in the bag over your shoulder, they slowly slip away behind you through the holes. No matter how many stones you collect, your bag will never be full. 

That's what worrying does to you; it weighs you down, slowly wasting your energy and time with nothing to show for it. Jesus knew that worrying does nothing for us but slowly wastes our lives away. Thus, He said in Matthew 6:25, 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life.' The question is, what do you do when tempted to worry? Instead of shifting your mind into worry and fear 'gear', do the right thing and shift your mind to 'prayer gear.' Turn to Jesus in prayer and tell Him all that concerns you. Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.'

Apostle Paul mentions that, 'in every situation', we are to turn to God with our petition, together with thanksgiving. God cares about you. He has already lined up solutions to every problem, even before you meet the problem. The antidote to worry and fear is to put our confidence in God in every situation. 

Worry is nothing but a distraction. At first, worry seems harmless for a moment, but as you continue to entertain it, its grip on you gets stronger. Every moment you take to pause and worry is a moment wasted, which you could have used to meditate on God's word. Worry wants you to focus on your inabilities to solve your present troubles, on the limited resources you have; worry wants you to focus on your present and future troubles based on your current abilities. However, God wants you to focus on Him; He wants you to focus on His Mighty power that overcomes every obstacle that may ever come against you. 

At every turn of life, God desires that we turn to Him for guidance, protection, comfort and strength. Isaiah 45:22, 'Turn to me and be saved.'

When we worry, it is because we've allowed it to take space in our minds. Every thought of anxiety, fear and worry that comes into our minds should be met with God's word to prevent it from occupying space in our minds. When thoughts of fear come because of big mountains you are facing, meet that thought with God's word from Isaiah 45:2, 'I will go before you and will level the mountains.' When thoughts of fear and loneliness come, fight it with what God says in Isaiah 41:10, 'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.'

Friends, challenges will always be there, and that is just the way this world is. However, we shouldn't allow what's going on the outside to affect what's inside of us. A tiny hole can sink a whole ship because it allows water to leak. There's peace of God on the inside of us. When we allow anxiety, fear, and worry to leak inside, it will sink us.

Whatever it is that keeps you uptight, anxious and worried, you need to turn it over to God. When you cast your worries unto God, it means that you trust Him. You acknowledge that His ways are better than your ways, and you live in confidence that He will take care of you. We all need to learn to say 'No' to worries and anxieties when thoughts of worries come knocking. 

Are you holding on to things which you should be casting? Whatever it is, be quick to cast it unto God, He cares for. It is needless to go on carrying a burden that weighs you down and steals your joy and peace. Don't let anxiety, worry and fear deceive you into thinking that you can figure it all out on your own. Sometimes we need to be still and let God work His way into our lives. God knows the end from the beginning, He knows you by your name, and there's nothing about you that He doesn't know. God cares about you, and He longs to be good to you. Your part is to let Him help you. Cast your cares unto God. 'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.' – 1 Peter 5:7