Oh ladies – I could write a book on this subject…
I have been a worrier for as long as I can remember.
As a little girl, I would lay in the corner bedroom of our house on the corner at night and every little sound would send my mind spinning. We lived in a VERY safe and quiet neighborhood, so there was little to no basis for my worry, but I remember it vividly nonetheless.
{Side note: We did have a fire at my house when I was in second grade, so that may have contributed to my worries, but I don’t remember that being my main worry.}
This worry mostly plagued me at night when I was trying to fall asleep. As an extrovert, I’m pretty sure most people thought I was just happy-go-lucky all the time. And being a busy girl through high school and college probably helped keep my mind from too much worry.
I heard plenty of Scriptures on the subject…
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ~Matthew 6:25-27
I really did pray about this very thing many of those nights while laying awake…
And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ~Matthew 6:28-30
But it was always still there.
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ~Matthew 6:31-33
Until I shared my worry with someone else and we sought Him together to free us from our mutual struggle.
She and I did a study called Walk Out of Worry {I’m pretty sure it’s out of print now}. I don’t even remember if the study was all that great or not, but I know it was simply in the act of bringing light to my struggle and working through it with another believer that God brought a breakthrough and peace for both of us.
Women aren’t the only ones who worry, but I do feel {in my non-expert opinion} that we tend to internalize it more and let it control us. I think that is why sharing it and working through it EXTERNALLY is the key to overcoming it in any way.
I consider that time, that study, the turning point in my struggle with worry.
Yes, I still worry, but I do not lie awake in bed at night going through every possible bad scenario I could encounter. Becoming a mom and watching the boys grow up has brought some of this up again, but I now know what freedom from worry feels like. I’ve known the bondage and I’ve know the freedom, so I know I can make a choice to acknowledge the worry and move past it.
Besides, His Word tells us…
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. ~Matthew 6:34
And I know I can take Him at His Word.
*****
Where are you at with worry?
If you’ve found freedom from a battle with worry, please share your story!
If you still struggle to move past endless worries, please let me have the privilege of praying for you today.
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
I was a worrier, too when I was younger. Whenever we left the house I would take a bag of my stuff with me just in case something happened! My anxiety got so bad my freshman year of college I had 3 ulcers and barely slept. With starting school, my parents divorcing, coping with the loss of my brother, and feeling like I had to solve it all, I was a mess. I am not really sure what changed, there was like no pivotal moment, other than sharing my concerns with a trusted friend, and starting to find constructive things to do, like running, playing soccer, just taking a walk. I still have worries and anxiety sometimes, but they don’t overtake me, and I have truly learned to go to the Lord with everything, nothing is too small! But I still struggle with worry, at least it does not plague me like before!
I was in such bondage with worry until Anthony lost his job in Humboldt. I decided then and there that I was not going to worry about him landing another job, where we would live, how we would pay bills. God had seen us through enough at that time, that I trusted Him wholeheartedly. I had such a peace during that time. And I feel that God has blessed me/us through that contentness/non-worry. I still feel the bonds coming back sometimes…but I know that if I pray and trust, God will take care of that. Like you said, I know what freedom from that bond looks like, feels like, and I will not go back. I’m doing the Beth Moore study, Breaking Free, and that is helping me recommit to this freedom and free me from other areas of bondage as well.
wow. i really appreciate this, erin. worry and irrational fear is something i am working on right now. i just finished reading What Women Fear by Angie Smith. it helped me TREMENDOUSLY to put my fears into perspective and to teach me to line my thinking and emotions up w the word of God. i am praying with you on this, sister! thank you!
I know I have to read that book! You and Stef just confirmed it for me 🙂 Praying for you as well!
Worry is something with which I have always struggled. I worry about my children, my marriage, how we’re going to pay the bills each month, you name it; I guess I have all of the typical “mom worries.” In fact, I wrote a blog post a few days back entitled “What Scripture says about worrying” and I have found that the more I read the passages and the more I allow myself to trust the Lord, the more at peace I feel. Thank you for this post. I am praying with you and for you! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
Praying for you as well Lisa! Hope you are enjoying your weekend too!
Thanks Erin. This was so timely for me to read.
I’m so glad it was helpful Terry! Thanks for taking the time to read!
Oh man. My husband would tell you that I used to a be such a worrier that I would literally make myself sick. So sick I would get a migraine and put myself to bed. Then something happened. I started reading my bible about worry and then I heard a sermon on worry. Realized it was a sin to worry and that I wasn’t trusting God with my life. That last part hit hard. While I still do worry on occasion, I don’t make myself sick anymore. I am learning to trust God with everything!~ Thank you for this reminder Erin. I definitely needed it this week. We have had a lot happen, but I know God will take care of it. 🙂 You are doing such an awesome job on this series. I have enjoyed reading every day!
Thanks Joy!
It is so interesting that you linked your worrying and the fire at your house. There was a fire at our neighbors apartment when I was 7 or so. But I was spending the night at a friends house on the other side of town. So I didn’t witness it. But we did have to move while the smoke damage to our apartment was taken care of (and in the end we never moved back into that same apartment). And two people died in the fire, one of which was a classmate of mine. And I am a huge worrier. But, so is everyone in my family. Especially on my Mom’s side. I always attributed my worrying as a learned thing from them. But, now that I think about it, there are some events in my life that very well could have led to this awful habit. I hope and pray that I can put an end to it before my toddler learns to worry. I’m amazed already at how she imitates me. Cleaning, facial expressions, repeating words etc.