Did you know that worrying about life is actually a sin? It’s true—worry is caused when we can’t muster up enough faith to believe God or trust in His Word. Worry can lead to many serious problems in our lives. Yet, it’s a sin that people live with daily because of the way it attaches itself to us. It’s like a cancer that grows in our hearts as it feeds off our fear. Stop and reflect over the things that constantly have you worried. Are they realistic concerns or are they born out of a fear that will probably never happen? Probably the latter. The truth is, we tend to be consumed with anxiety over the things that will never actually come to pass. We simmer in fretfulness over it—then when nothing happens, we wonder why we spent our precious energy worrying about it in the first place. We have no power to predict the future, so why worry at all? I recently read about a firefighter living in a small town who had spent many successful years on the force without anything ever seriously happening to him. For three years, he had worked the town’s fireworks show on the 4th of July, lighting the fireworks and supervising the process. But this year as he was lighting one of the fireworks, it exploded in his face and knocked him to the ground. It turns out he only suffered a minor concussion, yet the irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him or his family. He had good reason to worry about the daily dangers of fighting fires, and yet, how could anyone have predicted a potentially deadly injury at a simple July 4th celebration?
The answer is, no one could have—worrying does us absolutely no good. Jesus himself told us not to fret, because doing so just wastes our time and accomplishes nothing. As Matthew 6:27 says, Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? We must remember God’s promises to us when we’re filled with worry. We can always rest assured He will watch over us each day of our lives and provide for our needs no matter what the future holds.

We can avoid the sin of worry if we choose—it just takes a release of faith on our part and a knowledge of God’s overwhelming love and grace for each of us. Steps to take when you’re worried:

• Identify your fears and why you’re letting anxiety rule your heart.
• Understand that worrying is actually a sin because you’re blocking faith from operating in your life.
• Pray and release your worry to God so that He can carry your burdens and lift the shadow of uncertainty from you. He is more than able to carry our troubles.
• Rest in his peace and refuse to pick up the worry again. It’s a conscious decision we have to make each day but one that will give us freedom if we give our cares to Him.

Pray this prayer: Lord, I am so bothered by my constant worrying that I sometimes find it hard to function. You alone can give me peace and lift my burdens from my heart. Help me to rest in you and leave my worries at your feet. Give me grace when I fall and the confidence to know you are always with me during each struggle of my life. Your wondrous love is sufficient for me. Thank you, Lord. Amen.