Worry-wart

Photo Credit goes to Pixabay.com

I never used to be such a worry-wart. Given numerous events that have unfolded since 2020, however, my confidence has definitely been shaken. Truth is a humbling and sobering thing. I’ve learned that just because you’ve managed to cope with life’s turbulence over many years of trials, doesn’t mean something bigger won’t come along to bowl you over. The fatigue of a long season of challenges can definitely weaken one.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”  

Jeremiah 17:7-8

To help root myself much deeper, I bought a little book called “Worry Less, Pray More” A Woman’s Guide to Anxiety-Free Living (By Donna K. Maltese). Of course, the Bible is filled with all that we need. However, I find the insights and reminders from other believers so helpful for digging deeper into our text. (Iron sharpens iron. –Proverbs 27:17)

This has been a great read thus far. Am I out of the woods? No, but God is not finished with me, so I’m journeying on and striving to draw closer to Him with each step I take. (Be confident that God will complete His work. –Philipians 1:6)

The Worry-wart

I did a little research on where this term originated and its meaning. According to one source, worry-wart originally meant someone who pesters others, but in time came to mean someone who frets over the possibility of trouble (R.Hank, June 2022)

According to this source, Worry Wart was a generic nickname or insult for any character who caused others to worry, which is the inverse of the current colloquial meaning. (Etymonline.com)

Both of these sources, as well as what I read in Donna’s Worry Less, Pray More, gave me some food for thought. Donna K. Maltese put worry this way:

The word ‘distraction’ stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Yes, that’s exactly what worry is; it’s a distraction. I don’t want to pester anyone with my worry, and I certainly don’t want to throw others off course with my preoccupation with it. (Let’s think about what’s true… Philipians 4:8)

In fact, before I was derailed, I was praying the opposite. I had started to pray for the gift of faith. I wanted to be an encouragement and strength to those around me, never a hindrance. Isn’t it just like the enemy to put in place stumbling blocks to hinder the work of God in our lives?

I guess it’s time to begin praying for the gift of faith again… 🙏 Would you please pray with me in building up my faith and the faith of the body of Christ. Let’s not allow the enemy to hinder our prayers, gifts, fruits, and all the work that He is doing in the world. 2020 was a whopper of a year that still has its lingering effects. But God can, will, and is using it for good. I don’t know for certain if the pandemic was part of God’s plan, a consequence of human error, or Satan’s plan, but regardless, the enemy’s motive is always to use what God means for good, for evil. 

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.

Genesis 50:20

And because it’s worth repeating again and again…. 

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Don’t Worry—Give it to Jesus

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)