How to Stop the Worry Habit
By Rick Warren
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 (NIV)
God is the source of everything you need to live. He is the Good Shepherd who feeds you, leads you, and meets your needs. You don’t have to look anywhere else. You don’t have to look to Wall Street. You don’t have to look to the government. You don’t have to look to your spouse, your retirement account, or your job.
If you’re going to put your security in something, you need to put it in something that can never be taken from you. You can lose your health. You can lose your job. You can lose your good looks. You can lose your family. You can lose your life. You can lose your mind. You can even lose your way.
But God is never lost. And there is nothing you need that God can’t supply. Philippians 4:19 says, “God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (ESV).
So why do people worry so much? Worry may be the most common sin on the planet. It is the direct result of forgetting that God is good all the time. When you forget God’s goodness, you panic instead of pray; you worry instead of worship.
The Bible says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV).
Clearly, God doesn’t want you to worry about anything. Yet it’s hard to stop the worry habit. It’s part of human nature!
So how do you stop worrying? First, recognize that worry keeps you from the goodness of God. Next, decide that you don’t want worry to get the best of you. Then, take your concerns to God in prayer instead of worrying about them.
Remember: The best way to stop worrying is to start praying.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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