The Peace of God

Few behaviors sabotage our effectiveness more than worry.

But this pandemic is treatable. After all, worry is internal. No one forces you to do it, no one but you can fix it, and no one but you is fully aware of the extent of it. Our worry is precisely that: ours. 

But worry isn’t merely a psychological problem; it’s a theological problem. The origin of worry is Genesis 3, which takes us back to the primordial sin in the garden. Eve determined to be “like God” (verse 5). She and Adam decided to run the world on their own. Rather than living under God’s authority, they chose to take on his status and responsibilities. They asserted themselves as rulers of their own universe. Consequently, they learned the stress of trying to control time, destiny, and morality. 

No human being is capable of exercising such control. Yet all of us try. We play God and find ourselves overwhelmed by the pressure. 

Worry is toxic to our souls because it blinds us to what God has done and blocks us from what he could do—all because we focus on ourselves rather than God. Our craving for self-sufficiency disables trust. 

All this is neutralized by faith. Both the Old and the New Testaments have a simple solution: trust God. This is not blind trust as much as trusting God’s track record. He has proved himself faithful.

Paul wrote that we must “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). When Satan accosts us with negative thoughts, we wrestle those to the ground and expel them from our minds. 

The trick is that we can’t just rid ourselves of a thought. That leaves a vacuum in its place, and the negativity gets sucked right back in. We must replace negative thoughts with God’s truth. 

Scripture, sermons, and Christian music are powerful resources for mental transformation. The space and place you give to thoughts will grow roots in your brain. What we fertilize most will win the battle for our brains. When we feed our minds with Scripture, God’s Truth, and memories of his care for us, worry fades away and we can take every thought captive again.

When do you struggle with worry most often? What could you put into your mind to replace worry?