The Antidote to Worry

 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me

–John 14:1.

How many times have I read this verse? Quite a few, yet because I am prone to worry, I come back to it again and again.

John 14

Isn’t it easy to grab hold of a verse and try to stick it onto our souls like a bandaid? As if one quick fix and the bleeding of our hearts will stop.

No more worries and no more struggles.

Yet bandaids will not cure the troubles of our souls, any more than pulling a single verse out of context will fix our brokenness. Do not let…oh, how many times I let worry creep in and then I open the door wide. When trouble gets a foot in the door, it’s time to shut the door.

The biblical word for trouble is tarasso, meaning to agitate, to cause inward commotion, to take away calmness of mind. As if that’s not enough, the meaning extends deeper to strike one’s spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious and distressed. Like a bully, trouble, threatens and darkens our thoughts, and it is oh-so-easy to cave, giving into the temptation to let our thoughts spin with an increasing, frantic energy that can drive you right into full on fear.

Believe in God, believe also in Me. Jesus simply states the antidote to fear and worry. Verses will never be bandaids, but believing opens our hearts for the power of God to strengthen and calm. Peace of mind and rest for the soul are the blessed by-products of believing Jesus as we learn to cast all our cares on Him.

Overused and diluted, the word believe has become more of an opinion rather than strength for the soul that changes a life. To rely on, trust in, cling to and place confidence in–this is the lifeline for our souls and the conduit to receive the strength and peace of God.

Believing connects God’s supply to our desperate need.

Believing connects G

John 14 is an intimate conversation between friends, Jesus is preparing his disciples to grasp the fact that He is leaving. Trouble like they have never known will test their faith as they lift their eyes to His body hanging on the cross. Believe–I am going to the Father and I will prepare a place for you.

Philip responds, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?

–John 14:9-10.

Isn’t easy to point the finger, thinking, “Silly Philip. How could he not know after being a disciple for three years. How could he not get it?”

How often have I done the same thing. Not understanding, Philip defaults to relying on knowledge–teach us, prove it to us, make it plain to us. Likely, this seemed like a great thing to ask, yet the very asking revealed his lack of understanding into the real–the reality of Christ as Son of God.

Misperceptions and incomplete understanding like mists on the water cloud our understanding. We rely on what we can see and understand rather than choose to believe that which we cannot fully see.

I have done this. Day after day, I sit before the Lord. Listening and learning,  I want to know Jesus more deeply. How often I want the band-aid, the shortcut, relying on knowledge and understanding. As if I can simply know my way to peace and freedom in the Spirit.

Help me Lord to know you through greater belief, not merely more information. For it is believing that strengthens my heart to handle my troubles. Knowledge lived out in faith brings deeper understanding.

Ask for the faith of a child. Simple faith to believe.

Simple acceptance to trust.

Philip tried to come at belief through information and understanding–he wanted to see it to believe it. I am asking yo to come to revelation by the way of believing.

 Simply, truly believe and rely on Me, rest in the belief that I am powerful, present, sovereign, and good–then you can face your troubles without becoming troubled. 

Believe in Me and I will settle your heart.

 In what way do you need God to settle your heart today? What worries tempt you to struggle to believe that God has got this?

Tweetable: Believing connects God’s supply to our desperate need.

8 Responses to The Antidote to Worry
  1. Kori Yates
    January 28, 2015 | 1:53 pm

    Ginger, what great words today. I was just talking to my kids about this last night as we prepare for a deployment. Do we really believe God? If so, we should be living that way. It was a conviction to my heart that my kids are watching to see if I believe. What do my actions say?

    Great thoughts today. Thank you for sharing your heart!

    • Ginger Harrington
      January 31, 2015 | 11:37 am

      I’m honored that this has been an encouragement for you as you prepare your family for a deployment. May God bless and protect your husband while deployed and we are so grateful for the service and sacrifice of your entire family.

  2. Brittney
    January 28, 2015 | 10:52 pm

    Beautiful post! Worrying is definitely something I’ve been trying to get better with, and I’m completely guilty of wanting (and even expecting) the quick “band-aid” fix to spiritual needs or questions. I think part of the reason for this is that we live in a world where everything is right at our fingertips, and we’ve let ourselves fall into this little comfortable lull with convenience. Too bad God doesn’t operate at OUR convenience 😉 But it’s better that way. He knows the right timing better than we ever will. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    • Ginger Harrington
      January 31, 2015 | 11:39 am

      I like your point about convenience of today’s world makes us impatient. Yes, God knows the best timing, but sometimes it is hard to wait. Thanks for joining us today!

  3. Yolanda DeLoach
    January 29, 2015 | 8:08 am

    Hi Ginger, what stood out your post today was when you said believing has become more of an opinion than strength for the soul. It goes back to head knowledge vs. heart knowledge. Sometimes that’s the first step to belief–the head knowledge, then it can work it’s way to the heart. Like you said, getting that belief to the heart level is where we’re changed. Thanks for a great post!

  4. Ginger Harrington
    January 31, 2015 | 11:40 am

    Thanks for your encouragement. And yes, that 18 inches between and our heart makes all the difference what it comes to truly walking in faith. Thanks so much for commenting today, Yolanda!

  5. Sara McDaniel
    February 5, 2015 | 1:40 pm

    Yes, Ginger! Thankyou for your words this morning. The part about believing being more than an opinion really spoke to me too and fit with my reading today from Romans 6:8. The mind of the flesh is about knowledge, opinion, often “sense and reason without the Holy Spirit” but when we choose not to worry but trust God, cling to, rely on Him we are truly believing and thinking with the mind of the Spirit so we walk in “soul peace.” (Romans 6:8amp). As Sarah Young says, our most persistent choice is whether to trust him or to worry. Good reminder today, great post.

    • Ginger Harrington
      February 12, 2015 | 7:09 pm

      Thank you for adding this. I am so blessed and instructed by your thoughtful insight. Yes, the flesh is reason without the Holy Spirit…it seems to make sense but cannot take us where God wants to go.