Caring Enough to let God Carry it

How we can use our worry as a signal to turn to God, pray, and take action accordingly

Well, I just spent the whole morning googling signs of labored breathing and when to take a child into the doctor. My son wasn’t breathing well and I could feel the worry I had for him tightening in my own chest, and my brain was so scattered as I was constantly checking his symptoms, reading different medical articles, and calling his doctor. The worry I had for him was only helpful for getting me to call the doctor and book an appointment. But after that, I let the worry continue to whirl around my body as I overthought, overanalyzed, and over-googled.

That’s the problem with worry. When it creeps up, it’s all too easy to let it stay. And yall, I know it and you know it. God tells us over and over again in the Bible not to worry. Maybe you’re like me and you have parts of Luke 12:22-34 (the passage in my Bible titled, “The Cure to Anxiety”) memorized. You know Jesus tells us not to worry about our life (Luke 12:22-23), that God feeds the birds and clothes the wildflowers and He loves us more than those, so surely He will provide for us, too (Luke 12:24-28). Yet we get stuck in this wheel of worry that spins around and around and around, going nowhere helpful.

It’s true that the things we worry about matter deeply to us. We worry about people who are sick because we care about them. We worry about our future because we want things to turn out well. It’s not that we want to worry, it’s just that sometimes worry can make us feel like we are expressing our care and concern in an attempt to control a situation that’s often beyond our control.

But what if we cared so much about something that we stopped worrying about it? It sounds backwards, I know. But what if you loved someone so deeply or valued something so much that you gave it to God, not because it stopped mattering to you, but because you care enough to entrust it to your Creator, your Father, the one who also cares deeply about your worries?

So how do you do this practically? What if you used worry as a launching pad that brings you to Jesus instead of a final destination that ends with yourself? Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” When you feel the worry creep in, recognize the feeling and go straight to God to exchange your worry for prayer. Then, exchange the in-act of worry for a helpful action step. Go serve the person you care about. Go cuddle and pray over the child who is sick. Recognize when you’re overthinking the future and take one small step in the right direction today. Seek wise counsel for a decision you’re struggling to make. When you feel like there’s nothing left for you to do, sit with God as you release control and rest in His unchanging love.

Just think about how this shift from worry to prayer and action will bless you and those around you! In this season of my life, I think about how exchanging my worried behavior for deep trust in God will bless my kids. When I do this well, my kids won’t see concern etched into my face. They won’t see a mom who is doing THE MOST, i.e., Googling, stressing, panicking, and yet doing nothing at all. Instead they’ll see a mom who is actively giving my concerns to a loving God, serving those I’m worried about, and resting in God’s peace with inexplainable joy.

Maybe today your worry looks different than mine. You might not be fretting over a sick kiddo, but your concern is still deep and real. Whatever is weighing on you, it’s there because you care. Will you care enough today to give your worry over to God who will watch over you, your people, your situations, and your life? Start by praying. Give your requests to God. Thank Him for being there for you. Allow your prayer time to lead you to exchange your worry for something helpful. Then let God hold the rest.

Reflection Questions

When worry creeps in, where do you tend to turn first?

What is weighing most heavily on your heart right now? Take that worry and turn it into a prayer to God. As you write your prayer or say it out loud, remember that God is the creator of all things, He is your loving Father, and He cares deeply for you and your life.

Is there a helpful action you can take today to free yourself from your worry? If so, write it out here and then go do it!