Worry Warts #BeWoW #WritersQuoteWednesday

There are many things I can confidently say I am or am not. There are also many things I can say I’m progressing toward being much better at or less prone to. Then there are things I really wish I could say the above about but can’t – yet at least. I imagine that each of you who reads this will agree with those statements. 

Since this is intended to be a positive post, I’ll not dwell on the latter “things”. Rather, I’d like to share something that falls in the middle, and at times leans toward the former: worrying. 

I’ve come a very long way in this department as I’ve matured both naturally and spiritually. I have never been one to externalize my worries so much, but tended – and still do – to keep them inside, where they have less effect on those around me; you know, the put on a happy face type of guy. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, and hopefully there’s more than one, it’s how true many of the sayings and quotes about worry and anxiety are. One of my favorite passages of Scripture deals with anxiety or worry (the wording varies with the translation):

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And of course the very well known passage from The Gospel of Luke where Christ Jesus teaches on worry, explaining how futile it is. (That passage can be found HERE if you want to read it.) I know that I, personally, have gained much from studying these verses and they have helped me tremendously in becoming less and less of a “worry wart”. (HERE is an article on the terms meaning and origin if you’re interested.)

Another old quote I’ve learned contains so much truth is from a gentleman I’ve not found much information on, but I have found many wise sayings attributed to him. 

“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of hard work.”
R. Whitson Seaman

  
As I eluded to above, I can attest to the truth in this one, too!

I’m going to go out in a limb here and say if you’re honest with yourself, you have also come to the revelation that worry gets you no place, makes no difference in the situation, and does drain you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And while it’s much easier said than done, I encourage you to abandon anxiety. As of today, become a reformed-worry wart: it’s one of the most freeing things you’ll ever do for yourself and those you love. 

This post is linked linked to both the BeWoW and Writers Quote Wednesday communities. If you’re not already a part of or familiar with them I highly recommend checking out both!