Do You Worry Too Much? Yeah, Me Too

Worrywart should have been my middle name. Even before the age of 10, my brain was wracked with numerous anxieties. My childhood was defined by weight worries, fitting in worries and school worries.
   At nine I started subscribing to Weight Watchers and exercising to Richard Simmons workout tapes because I was concerned that my belly pooched out too much in a swimsuit. Forget peer pressure. There was more than enough pressure coming from me to make all A’s at all costs.

   It was a classic case of Worrywart Syndrome, and it gradually took a toll on my friendships and my health. I was so busy fretting about my life that I didn’t know how to let go and trust God. This behavior continued through my 30s when I worried that I wasn’t being a good enough mother even though my husband and parents regularly praised my efforts. Trusting God is tough for a worrywart because we want to control our own lives every second of the day. Yet, we are never fully satisfied.
   In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul urges us to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let (our) requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (our) hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV)
   It emphasizes being anxious for nothing because doing so takes the focus off of our problems. Then we are encouraged to pray, supplicate (make a humble and earnest cry for help), and offer our thanks *when* letting God know our requests.
   Approaching the Lord with a thankful heart helps keep me humble. When I do all three of these things, God promises us a sense of peace that is unlike anything we can create through our own efforts.
   As a child, was my waistline going to get any smaller if I kept worrying about it? As an adult, will my children have a happy mom if I keep stressing about the amount of TV they watch? Matthew 6:31 encourages me not to obsess over the little details in their lives because God knows what they need. Sometimes, my worrying self just wants to shout, “Yeah, but did you ever raise sassy pre-teens, God?”
   Attention all worrywarts (myself included): What have we gained from the anxiety other than sleepless nights and indigestion? If we give complete control of the worries to God, he promises to take care of them for us.
   So don’t sweat it.
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Shanna Groves is a recovering worrywart and insomniac. When she isn’t counting sheep or the calories in chocolate, she chases after three adorable kids while blogging about her life as a hard-of-hearing mom at LipreadingMom.com. Shanna is the author of Lip Reader and the soon-to-be-published Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom through CrossRiver Media. Visit www.ShannaGroves.com for information about her books and speaking.