Worry Warts

This week, I’m facilitating a ladies Bible study group about a book study we’ve been going through together called Living Above Worry and Stress by Women of Faith.  As a part of the study on Chapter 3, “Worry Warts,” I have created a hand-out to be able to record some basic points and take them home in an organized manner to be able to look back on and be reminded of some easy-to-read and easy-to-remember points.  My purpose in sharing this information with you all is that you can add to my bullet points and we can get some dialogue going about worry.

The authors define worry as the image of a dog, tugging at a jacket, not letting it go, tearing it to itsy bitsy pieces.

1. WHY IS WORRY BAD?

• Worry paralyzes me.
• Worry wastes time.
• Worry physically harms the body.
• Worry separates me from God (takes me eyes off of Him and places them onto myself).

► When you find yourself worrying, STOP and ASK yourself:

• What am I worried about?
• What is the root of my worry?  /  Why am I worried about this?
• What does the Bible say about this (not just about worry, but about the specific situation)?

2. WHY DO WE WORRY?

• We worry because our needs, or the needs of those we love, are not being met (or we worry that they won’t be met).  This worry is about CONTROL (or lack thereof).
  • Jehovah Jireh – Do I really believe that God is going to provide ALL my needs?

• We are not trusting that God is going to do what is best in the situation, or we don’t trust that what God sees as “best” is really best.

• We worry because we don’t recognize our own self worth – feel incapable of doing good enough or being good enough.

• We worry because we have a “passive mind” vs. an “active mind”  (p.95-97 The Ministry of a Wife by June Boisselier)
  • “God created us with an imagination, but He wants to program it.  He does not want us to have a passive mind.  I used to have a very passive mind.  It’s still an area which I need to guard carefully.…”
  • “A passive mind doesn’t mean one that doesn’t work.  In fact, sometimes it works too much, but with the wrong program.  Passive means it receives anything that comes into it without filtering it.  The ‘immigration office’ is closed and alien thoughts sneak in unobserved.  The idea of a passive mind is that it is acted upon rather than actively directing the thoughts.  The passive mind soaks up good and bad thoughts like blotting paper, and the result is confusion and doublemindedness….”  (another result is WORRY!)
  • “If we let our minds run without discipline, the Devil will fill them with a fast-pace set of interesting programs designed to steal and to kill and to destroy.  Everyone and everything that comes along is afforded a listening ear.  The passive mind does not examine the Scriptures to see whether these things be so.  People with passive minds vacillate between two opinions; they can never seem to make a decision.  Choosing a pair of shoes is an act of Congress….”
  • “There are other symptoms of a passive mind such as memory recall.  That’s when Satan won’t let you forget some sinful situation or a tragic accident.  You keep on living the scene over and over in your mind until you’re so depressed you can hardly move.  The other side of the coin is forgetfulness. … Lack of concentration is another symptom. … Mind racing is another.  I’m referring to flashing thoughts that run unhindered through your mind.  They come rumbling through like a subway train and rumble back out leaving a few passengers and picking up a few….”
  • “Many women never do see what’s happening.  It gets worse instead of better.  This is the type of thing I’m talking about when I say a passive mind.  You [need to clap] a filter on your thoughts before there [are] any disastrous effects; many women never do.  They don’t direct their minds; their minds direct them.  We have to filter everything that comes into our minds through the Word of God….”
  • “The mental gymnastics of a passive mind can sap a person’s physical strength.  It drains a person to feel anxiety, hatred, grief – all those negative emotions.  That’s why God said ‘a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.’”

3. ENCOURAGING VERSES (specifically about worrying):

• Matthew 6:25-34
• 1 Peter 5:6-9
• Philippians 4:4-7
• Philippians 4:8

4. MY PROBLEM:

• When I worry, the last thing I want to do is to spend time with my Lord.  I want to run out and fix all the problems in my life or in my relationships that look like they’re going wrong.  I want to take the problems of the world into my own hands.  Instead, I need to entrust them to my Lord!
• I perceive my need as ____(fill in the blank) ___, but my real need is more trust in Jesus.

I hope you enjoyed, and let’s get dialoguing!!  (It would be way better to actually be a part of our study   Especially because we can take time to encourage each other with verses specific to each of our key areas of worry!)

To God be the Glory!!!

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