Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I am, by nature, a worrier. Maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist. Maybe it’s because I’m slightly obsessive-compulsive. Maybe it’s because I’m the eldest sibling. There are all kinds of reasons why I worry, but the truth is, none of them justify it. Worry, if not dealt with correctly, hampers my ability to grow. Worry can quickly turn into fear, and fear, when it’s fully grown, immobilizes me. As an independent business owner, I can’t allow that to happen. I easily could be consumed with worry and fear. I could worry that I won’t find enough clients. I could worry that clients won’t like my work. I could worry that my current clients will lay me off. Could any of these things happen? Possibly. Will they? I don’t know, and I don’t need to know. What I need to do is focus on my current responsibilities and leave the worries in God’s hands. 

Leaving the worries in God’s hands is not “hacuna matata.” I am not advocating the “no worries” life, at least not as it is depicted in the song, “Hakuna Matata.” What I am encouraging is a life that is not focused on what could possibly happen but is focused on fulfilling daily responsibilities and glorifying God. When I lead this sort of life, I will no longer be worried – which is caused by a self-focus and a lack of trust in God’s care and sovereignty – but I will be concerned, which reveals a desire to honor God and to care for others. How do I implement a life of concern instead of one of worry? 

1. I remember God’s promises.
God promises to provide the necessities of life as I seek to please Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NAS) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart / And do not lean on your own understanding. / In all your ways acknowledge Him, / And He will make your paths straight.” This is not to say that my path won’t seem circuitous; rather, even in the midst of a seemingly winding road, I know that God has a purpose and that He is leading me toward where He wants me to be.

2. I put off timid thinking and put on love and sound judgment.
Isaiah 26:3-4 (NAS) states, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, / Because he trusts in You. / Trust in the Lord forever, / For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”

3. I put off self-centered worry about the future and put on prayer and following God’s commands.
Matthew 6:34 (NAS) says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

4. When I am afraid, I confess my fear to God and fulfill my responsibilities despite how I feel.
The apostle Paul remarks in Philippians 4:6-9 (NAS):

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 

5. When I am worried, I make a plan to accomplish today’s tasks and to do them as unto the Lord.
Colossians 3:17 (NAS) states, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Being concerned about the details isn’t a sin, unless that concern becomes all-consuming. The details are important; they are what comprise the whole. Without them, events, such as a dinner party or a family reunion, would never happen. When concern starts to turn into an obsession, though, it is time to re-evaluate my motives. Am I concerned or am I worrying? Worry is a sin, but like any other sin, it can be overcome with hope in Christ and a commitment to living by God’s principles.