Day 11: An Anxious and Worried Mind

In Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer, she recognizes that “It is absolutely impossible to worry and live in peace at the same time.” Isn’t this true! I was on an excursion/tour for vacation and needed to be back by a certain time. The guide assured us that we would be. We still worried, not enjoying our present moment as we could have. We did return on time and the worrying was not needed. It says in Webster's dictionary that worry is to feel uneasy or troubled; a source of nagging concern. This is the battlefield of the mind to distract us from feeling good and doing good in the present moment and instead take us away to a place of angst that hasn’t even occurred yet. When we worry our thoughts become repetitious on what may or may not happen. They are always negative thoughts or the worse possible outcome of a situation. I’ve always noticed that the worse never happens yet we waste so much time worrying about it. Check out your worrying thoughts. Are they usually the worst possible outcome of a situation? Is the worry usually correct, sometimes correct or rarely correct? I have found out that its hardly ever correct. Only the mind can think up such horrific scenarios.
Joyce points out in the Bible how we don’t need to worry at all in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life great [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?” Bravo! All the essentials are taken care of, trust in your source.
Furthermore in Matthew 6:27 it says, “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure to his stature or to the span of his life?” Ha! How many times have I worried about getting a good grade in school or doing a good job on a project at work? Too many times. Each time with the same outcome. I can either worry (which adds stress and possibly slower or poorer performance) or I cannot worry (stress-free, happier, possibly quicker performance). I think worrying only adds stress, negativity and poor productivity because it occupies the mind with the future and not the present moment.
To close with a favorite verse (Matthew 6:34) “So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own."

Charissa