10 worries to get rid of in 2020

If you and I know the God who can do above and beyond all that we can imagine, why do we lose sleep at night or waste a day worrying?
We worry, not because of our circumstances but because of who we are—people who don’t fully understand who God is. After all, if we truly believe He can provide for our eternal life through what Jesus did for us on the cross, why don’t we believe He can take care of our everyday life, as well?

In Philippians 4:6-7 we are told, “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.”
Are you ready to experience God’s peace in place of your panic? If so, here are 10 worries you can get rid of in 2020:

1. Stop worrying that the worst will happen.
   Ephesians 3:20tells us God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
   So, if God is capable of beyond the best, why do we often worry about the very worst? Scripture says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”
   
2. Stop worrying that you’re missing out.
   Are you worried you’ll never marry, you’ll never have a child, you’ll never get your dream job, or you’ll never make a difference in this world? Psalm 84 :11 says “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” If you are walking uprightly and honouring God, you never need to worry that He will withhold something truly good for you.
   
3. Stop worrying about your health—or someone else’s.
   If you know the Great Physician, you never need to worry that you suffer with a condition that no doctor understands or can treat. Nothing takes God by surprise, and that includes whatever ails your body. No condition is out of God’s league. And you can take comfort knowing that nothing touches you that hasn’t first passed through His loving hands.
   Just because a health condition hasn’t gone away doesn’t mean God isn’t aware of it. Just because doctors are stumped about your diagnosis doesn’t mean God is in the dark about it. Trust that, as Psalm 139 says, He knows every detail of what is going on in your body—and in the bodies of those you love— and He can handle it.
   
4. Stop worrying about your safety
   We can invest in the safest cars on the road, install a top-of-the-line security system in our homes, and take all the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and those we love, but ultimately, God is the one who protects us and keeps us safe.
   David sang in Psalm 4:8: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (emphasis added). And in Psalm 121:2-3, we are told, “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber….”
   
5. Stop worrying that God won’t provide.
   If God can control the vast complexities of the universe, He can control the circumstances and events in our lives to provide us with what we need. Jesus, Himself, said: “…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26). That sounds like a pretty clear “Never worry about it” statement from the Son of God. In other words, “You have a God who is in control, so don’t feel like you have to be!”
   
6. Stop worrying about your reputation
   Have you ever lost sleep wondering how you will respond to an unfair situation that calls your integrity into question? Have you worried about your defense, or how to clear up a misunderstanding, or how to silence the false allegations that are circulating about you?
   If you, like David, “walk within [your] house in the integrity of [your] heart, and set no worthless thing before [your] eyes” (Psalm 101 :2-3), you never have to worry about your reputation. God’s got your back.
   Take comfort in knowing it isn’t your job to clear your name—it’s God’s.
   Isaiah 54:17 says ‘“no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”
   
7. Stop worrying that you’ll be wiped out financially
   I know many believers who are worried sick when the stock market takes a downturn, when the real estate market plunges, when a lawsuit is threatened, or the unexpected leaves them suddenly in debt.
   If you are investing in eternal things, you never have to worry that you will be robbed, ripped off, or wiped out financially (Matthew 6:20). God can take great care of all that you give to Him.
   
8. Stop worrying that God can’t handle it.
   We worry when we feel God has checked out or is incapable of handling what concerns us. Yet, Proverbs 16:3 advises: “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” That means once we commit it to God, we can trust the results with Him rather than fearing we will be short-changed, cheated, or destined for failure.
   God’s Word promises not only that your plans will succeed when they are committed to Him, but also that God is incapable of making a mistake. Psalm 18:30 says “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” That means He is perfectly capable of handling all that concerns you and He makes no mistakes.
   
9. Stop worrying that God isn’t good.
   We don’t consciously worry that God isn’t good, but worrying itself says to God and everyone around us that God doesn’t have our best in mind, doesn’t care about us, and can’t handle what concerns us.
   Let 1 John 4:18 reassure you: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” When you love God perfectly, you will trust Him immensely. And where there is absolute trust there is no room for fear, worry, or doubt.
   
10. Stop trying to control what only God can.
    How much time do you and I waste worrying about what we have absolutely no control over? God can control everything we think we must and all that we know we can’t. So, when we wring our hands with worry and fret, we are saying to God “I don’t think You have a handle on this.”

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