Adeline Minett [Caden Minett]
I’m proud to say that I made it through January with a pretty healthy outlook on life, but things took a drastic turn downhill in February. I was back to feeling low. A single idea became a spiral of possibilities and I often dwelled on a specific thought, getting lost in doubt and anxiety. I was depressed.
My mom noticed the change and she suggested I read a chapter in “Steps to Christ.” It encouraged me more than I expected because it made me see that I wasn’t alone.
What I read made me realize worry weakens us as effective servants of God. When anxieties press in all around us, the Devil takes advantage. Satan knows we’re most vulnerable when our minds are in turmoil. He offers us a way out of the unrest, when really, it’s just a well-set trap.
We’re weak because worry makes us lose sight of our Savior. You can’t focus on things that make you worry while saying you trust in Jesus. Christ is our hope and strength. He asks that you give all your cares to Him and tells you not to worry or be afraid.
When we are weighed down with anxiety it shows, making Christianity look tainted and unappealing, especially to non-Christians. If you’re placing your complete trust in God, it should be visible in the way you look and act. You shouldn’t let worry hold dominion over your life, because ultimately it can influence your eternity.
We are called to be light bearers, not doubters. Our saved status should show on our faces. Worry snatches away that feeling of finding salvation, because we’re not thinking about the price Jesus paid to wipe away our sins. We’re doubting our worth and think we still have a debt to pay.
Your past should not define your future and your yesterday should not turn today into a regret. We feel discouraged while brooding over prior mistakes, but this dims the present truth of our salvation.
Worry makes us think thoughts like “what if.” What if I’m too broken? What if no one loves me? What if I hadn’t done that bad thing? What if that bad thing hadn’t happened to me? These are all valid uncertainties, but they shouldn’t rule our lives.
So, what’s one remedy?
Worship makes us think thoughts like “I know.” I know my Savior lives. I know He has a future planned for me, and He uses all things for good. These are thoughts that are free of doubt, free of worry. Jesus is the one person we can count on in this world.
We can fight worry with worship.
Adeline Minett is a young writer based in Wisconsin. She spends most of her days listening to music and brainstorming new things to create with the same 26 letters of the alphabet. At an early age, God gave her the passion for words and she wants to use the gift to make heaven a beautifully crowded place.
