Do you have “iffy” thoughts that dominate your life? Thoughts like: “What are we going to do IF that happens? What IF that does not work out? How will I manage IF that happens? IF only I had that! IF only I had not done that!” “What IFS” and “IF onlys” can monopolize out thoughts and paralyze us. Allowing fear and worry to dominate our lives can significantly interfere with our contentment. The presence of continual worry and fear in our lives indicates a lack of trust in God.
Worry and fear can negatively impact our health, our productivity, and our relationships. God expects us to live responsibly and do our best, but He does not want us to be controlled by worry and fear. Genuine concern will move us to act when necessary, but worry and fear immobilize us. We will experience fearful and worrisome thoughts at times, but we do not have to be controlled by them.
The Bible tells us that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but instead power, love, an a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear and worry are like a broken record, stuck in our heads. As long as we allow the worries to continue playing over and over in our heads, we will remain stuck in the same broken place.
Jesus encourages us to trust instead of fretting about things beyond our control, because He will provide for our needs. The Apostle Paul advised us to replace worry and fear with prayer. Whenever we are worried, the best thing to do is to talk with God.
When we are worried about our children, our finances, our health, or our marriage, the best thing to do is pray. When we talk with God and put our concerns in HIs hands, He will exchange our worries for His perfect peace. Peace does not require an absence of problems, but rather the presence of God in our lives. God instructs us repeatedly in His Word not to be afraid. In fact, there are at least 365, “fear nots” in the Bible…one for every day of the year!
Transforming our “iffy thinking” into godly thinking happens when we read and meditate on God’s Word. It is one of the best prescriptions for decreasing our anxiety level!(It works for me!) You have heard the saying, “A Bible that is falling apart is probably owned by someone who isn’t.” God will provide for us and keep us at peace if we keep our minds and thoughts on Him.
