Can a man, by worrying, add a day to his life?

“Every evening I turn my worries over to God.  He’s going to be up all night anyway” Mary C. Crowley

Have you ever seen the Traveler’s Insurance commercial where a dog takes his bone and tries to find a safe and worry-free place to place it?  He tries to bury it.  Then he places it in a safety deposit box.  That night he tosses back and forth worrying about the bone until he can’t take it anymore.  He then returns to the bank and takes it out.  Worry!

My mother used to always tell me not to worry about anything until you have something to worry about.  I love that!  So many of us allow ourselves to worry about things that have not even happened yet.

We start to build in our minds scenarios of what can possibly happen to us as a result of something that is going on around us. We think of the worst possible outcomes and then may even find ourselves unwittingly working towards making them happen.  Have you ever heard someone say, “I am a worry wart?”  It’s almost like they wear it like a badge of honor.

During one of my speeches I asked the attendees how many of them were filled with worry, anxiety and fear?  Several of them raised their hands.  I asked, “How is it working for you?”  They all started to laugh.  Laughter, that’s a good thing.  Laughing at things you cannot control takes some of the power and sting out of the situation.

The next time you are tempted to worry, think about giving the following a chance to help you overcome the temptation:

·         Ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen?  Then develop a game plan so in the event the worst happens, you are prepared to face it head on.

·         Don’t sweat the small stuff!  Don’t let the small stuff be bigger than it is.

·         Fill your mind with positive thoughts!  Displace the negative with the positive.

·         Remember:  This too shall pass!  Whatever you are going through will not last forever.

·         Lastly, pray and read your Bible.  Filling your heart with God’s soul food will leave you full and satisfied.

Although life will never be completely worry free, remember, worry never solved a problem or added a day to your life.