Wonder vs. Worry

Posted On April 10, 2020

“‘. . . the Shadow takes another shape and grows again.’

‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.

‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'”

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

So let me get this out there right now: I’m worried. I am. I’m scared for myself, for my family, and for the world like I’ve never been scared before, and I’m sure I’m not alone. Like Frodo, I just keep thinking I wish none of this had happened. I wish we could all wake up from this COVID-19 nightmare. I wish I could see my friends. I wish my church family could all worship in the same building at the same time. I wish I could go back to my normal life. But as Gandalf points out, that’s not up to me. There are things that are out of my control. All I can do is decide what to do with the time I’m given.

My father is a minister, and one of his old sermons has been on my mind recently. The title gives a formula, as well as a challenge, for how to deal with worry: “Face the Worst. Believe the Best. Do the Most. Leave the Rest!” Here is my paraphrased version of his sermon, updated for the times we find ourselves living in. My prayer is that sharing it may offer some help and comfort to you or someone you know.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Matthew 6:27 NIV

Many of us are chronic worriers, and we’ve definitely got plenty to keep us awake at night right now. More than ever there is a need to be concerned with the health and welfare of ourselves, our families, our society, and our world. But if we’re not careful, healthy concern can cross the line and become enslaving worry that prevents us from living our lives. This is why Jesus said not to worry. Because He ordered it, we need to pay attention.

So how do we do it? How do we keep our worries under control so that we can live the lives Jesus wants us to enjoy? There are some steps we can take.

First, face the worst. I think this is the scariest part, so let’s get it over with right up front. Face your fears. As hard as this can be, facing your fears is better than hiding from them. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to use up your physical and emotional resources worrying about something that may never happen. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst possible outcome of what I’m worried about.” Try to put your worries into perspective. You may find that it’s not as bad as you fear.

For me, this means looking online for the latest reliable news about the pandemic. While there is a lot of scary stuff, there is also a lot of information that is helpful for putting it all into perspective. My fear tells me we’re all doomed, but the facts tell me that’s not the case. There are a whole lot more people recovering from this virus than dying from it. It’s still terrible and frightening, but I can’t give in to the panic that threatens to take over my rational thinking. We have a lot of smart people working on this problem, and they are gaining more information every day to help fight this pandemic.

That being said, I can’t shy away from facing my biggest fear: I could die or someone I love could die from this virus. There. I said it. That’s the scariest part of all, the thing that threatens to paralyze me and keep me from living my life. And I am still alive. Right now, I am alive and Jesus wants me to live my life. In fact, He gave up His life so that I could have eternal life. And He did this for my family, my friends, everyone reading this, and everyone in the world. He died to save all of us. And eternal life begins right now, while we’re still in this world. So what am I so afraid of? No matter what happens, He has already saved me. He has already saved all of us.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

Second, believe the best. This is where faith comes in. Believe that no matter what threatens you, good can and will come out of it. Believe that no matter what happens, God loves you and wants the best for you. He has invested too much in you to desert you now. He gave His Son to die for You. You belong to Him. You can depend on Him to bring good into your life. So remain faithful, optimistic, and confident in His love.

For me, this means making a conscious effort to focus on the good things in my life and to believe that everything’s going to be okay. This pandemic will end. We will get through this. We may have a breakthrough any day. People are helping each other and caring for each other. We are all learning to appreciate every blessing in our lives and not take anything for granted. The wonders of God are all around us — in nature, in the stars, and in each other. We just need to choose to see them.

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

Stuart K. Hine, “How Great Thou Art”

Third, do the most. You may not always be able to control what happens TO you, but you can control what happens IN you. There are very few situations that are entirely helpless. When worries get the best of you, it’s easy to get stuck thinking nothing can be done — why me? You may not like what’s happening to you, but no matter what the situation, there is usually something that can be done. Do the most you can.

For me, this means, first of all, following all of the CDC guidelines and recommendations to prevent the spread of this virus. These precautions are meant to keep my body healthy, but what about my mind and spirit? I find I need to do more to keep them healthy right now, too. I love to work puzzles, play games, read, or practice music when I need to de-stress. In fact, I just read in the Reader’s Digest, that doing jigsaw puzzles is a good way to relieve anxiety (April 2020, “Piece of Mind”). Keeping my mind focused on a task keeps it from wandering into the worry zone.

To calm my spirit, I have to read the Bible and pray every day. I mean every day. I’m not saying I have been faithful about doing this — I wish I could say I have. But I’m saying I’ve learned the hard way that when I don’t do this, I suffer. I feel anxious, confused, depressed. Only when I talk to God and listen for Him to talk to me is my soul at peace. In addition to reading the Bible, I enjoy Scripture writing as a way to relax and focus on the Word of God. There are many online resources available on Scripture writing, so I won’t give a detailed explanation here. Basically, it just means copying by hand a short Scripture passage and prayerfully deciding how you can apply it to your life. Here are some Scripture verses I found helpful for focusing on comfort, peace, and the wonders of God. I have included longer passages for reading and shorter passages for writing. There is a link for a printer-friendly pdf version below the image.

Fourth, leave the rest. There are some things that are out of your control and influence and beyond your resources. But even if you don’t have the resources, God does. You can leave those worries that threaten you to One who is wiser and stronger than any of us. You can safely entrust Him with those cares and worries. Leave those in His hands and move forward. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are instructed to “pray without ceasing.” For me this means I have to remember to stop talking to myself and talk to God instead. If I am constantly talking to God and turning over my concerns to Him, I don’t have time to be preoccupied with worry.

I live in a hot, dry climate where drought can be a problem. Whenever our water reserves start to get low, many people put “pray for rain” signs in their yards as a reminder for all of us to band together and go to God for what we need. I think there’s never been a better time for us to come together and pray. I don’t have a sign for your yard, but I ask you to share the following image with someone and then pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray for the sick and for the families who have lost loved ones. Pray for the doctors and nurses on the front lines. Pray for the scientists who are working to find a treatment. Pray for our leaders. Pray for those working jobs considered essential. Pray for those who have lost their jobs. Pray for healing for our world. Pray for a miracle. The power of prayer is indeed a wonder to behold.

Face the worst. Believe the best. Do the most. Leave the rest. I’ve decided to try to live up to these words the best I can. I know it won’t always be easy. I can definitely be a worrier. But I’ve found that when I face my fears, stay optimistic, do what I can, and turn the rest over to God, I can free myself to live the life He has in mind for me. For me, focusing on the wonders of God — His love, His creation, His blessings, His power — makes all the difference.

I still wish none of this had happened. I wish none of us had to face such times. But that’s not for me to decide. All I can do, all any of us can do, is choose what to do with the time we are given. I choose wonder over worry. I choose prayer over panic. I choose faith over fear. I choose hope and praise and light and love!

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. . .

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Cry out, ‘Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
that we may glory in your praise.’
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord.'”

1 Chronicles 16:8-13, 34-36 NIV

References:

• Agnew, Caitlyn, with Emily Goodman. “Piece of Mind.” The Reader’s Digest, April 2020, pp. 114-116.
• Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. Kindle ed., Harper Collins e-books, 2005.

Images:

• Sunset featured image by Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay
• Dark Fog image by Krzysztof_War from Pixabay
• Sunrise image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay