Overcoming Worry
Psalm 37
Once we understand how worry undermines trust in our Father and how willing He is to remove it from us, we need to seek out ways we can cooperate with Him. There are some common sources of worry that we can avoid.
One thing we can do is learn not to listen to the wrong people. There are many purveyors of doom and gloom-we all know the sources of such negative thinking, and we can take steps to avoid them, whether they are neighbors or newscasts that plunge us into despair. We don’t have to listen to everything evil just because it is making a lot of noise.
Another thing to avoid is laying up treasure on earth. The more we store up worldly goods, the more we are tempted to worry about what might happen to them. Either we are going to be overcome by the material or mastered by the spiritual. As Jesus put it, we will either serve God or mammon. To avoid serving the wrong master, we must deliberately choose to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. (verse 33) This means that we willingly pursue the path of obedience and submission to the ways of God as He conforms us to the image of Christ.
This is the Christian way to overcome worry. Putting God’s interests first always results in our needs being met. He promises that all these things will be added unto us. The more we put Him first, the less foothold worry has in our lives.
Daily Devotions with Dr. Charles Stanlley, InTouch Ministries