KICK THE WORRY HABIT

NEW SERIES

1. KICK THE WORRY HABIT
2. DIG WORRY UP BY ITS ROOTS
3. STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING TRUST IN GOD
4. REPLACE WORRY WITH HOPE
5. WHY WE SHOULD WATCH WHAT WE SAY
6. WORRIED ABOUT TOO MUCH TO DO?
7. STOP STRIVING, START BELIEVING

Research in recent years has suggested that over 80% of adults in the UK are worriers. I can well believe it. We worry about anything and everything: finances, relationships, health, family members, occasions, the economy, being late, new experiences, world affairs… to name just a few triggers.

This next series of posts looks at what we need to do to kick the worry-habit into touch.

The Oxford Dictionary says that worry is ‘to allow no rest or peace of mind to oneself; to give way to anxiety or let the mind dwell on troubles’. When we say that a dog ‘worries’ at a bone, meaning that he shakes or pulls it about persistently, we get a visual image of the human worrying process. The word ‘worry’, interestingly, comes from the Old English word for ‘kill’—an indication of the negative consequences of this tendency.
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Although worry is a well-known cause of mental and physical health issues, saps energy and strength, and deprives us of rest, many people feel powerless to change—it’s just ‘how they are’. However, worry is a habit, not a condition, and bad habits can be replaced by good habits—not overnight—for it takes time to form or replace a habit.

​ESTABLISH A PLACE OF REFUGE

The root of worry is fear, and to deal with fear, we first have to find a safe place, a place of refuge, a place where we can find courage. We all have a choice where we take refuge from trouble. Many people seek to ‘hide themselves’ in alcohol, drugs, comfort eating, retail therapy or similar. However, these refuges are short-lived; when the ‘comfort’ wears off, the anxieties return. We need to find long-term solutions to our fears.
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For Christians, the only reliable safe place is the Lord. Fear isolates, so our first step in defeating a worry-habit is to run to Him, not away from Him.

​And the Scriptures are full of encouragement:

But let all who take refuge in You be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread Your protection over them,
that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.
[Psalm 5:11]
 
I love You, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
[Psalm 18:2]
 
You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
[Psalm 32:7]
 
We wait in hope for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in His holy name.
[Psalm 33:20-21]
 
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…
…The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
[Psalm 46:1-2,7]
 
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in You I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until the disaster has passed.
[Psalm 57:1]
 
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’…
He will cover You with His feathers, and under His wings You will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be Your shield and rampart.
[Psalm 91: 1-4]
 
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
[Proverbs 18:10 NKJV]

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TIME TO TAKE ACTION...

1. The all-important first step in kicking the worry-habit is to answer this question honestly: Where do you hide yourself, or look for comfort when worry strikes?
                                                                      
2. Talk to the Lord about your worry-habit, and the things you take refuge in, and ask for His help to run to Him when worry strikes.
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3. Take time to be quiet and meditate on the Scriptural word-pictures above. Imagine yourself in each of the scenarios. 

4. At intervals during the day (set an alarm if you need to), stop, focus your inner gaze on the Lord, and breathe out any accumulated stress. Repeat five times. Then, focusing on your inward breath, inhale deeply, five times, asking the Holy Spirit to fill you with His peace and calmness of spirit.

NEXT WEEK: Dig up worry by its roots...

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[Photo credits: Christian Erfurt (worried man); Phillippe Collard (stronghold); Art Lasovsky (pen) @ Unsplash, with thanks]