Worry, Worry

Posted by: L.E.S. on: July 8, 2013

• In: Everyday Life | Faith | Family | Friends | Parenting
• 2 Comments

Some activities—like bungee jumping, outdoor rock climbing and hang gliding—just aren’t for the faint of heart.

My additions to that list? Watching World War Z if you’ve ever experienced motion sickness (I found it was touch and go for a while), or giving up coffee.

I recently gave up coffee and other caffeine sources for close to a week so I could have my nose pierced. (You might wonder why I’d want to do either of those things, but that isn’t really the point.) The first thing was a small sacrifice to make the second possible—and it was the second that scared me. In the end, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and it was over. Not only did I discover that my fear was out of proportion to the discomfort I felt, but I also benefitted from better sleep after cutting my caffeine intake.

So how does this relate to faith issues? We worry about the sacrifices we might need to make, about stepping outside our comfort zone, about whether we have the courage to take that step. And we don’t realize how we magnify our fears or consider how we might benefit by going forward. I say this as a veteran worrier.

Have you ever found yourself in situations like these?

• You feel that God is calling you to a new job or ministry…but you’re afraid of the changes saying “yes” could lead to.
• Your friends are critical of the Church…but you’re scared of their reaction if you defend the Church’s position on an issue.
• Your child is approaching the dating years…but you’re nervous about how to launch the important conversations on Church teachings that you need to have.

We need to remember that God doesn’t ask us to tackle our concerns in our own strength. He reminds us that worrying can’t help us (see Matthew 25:25-33). That we need to give our concerns to him (see 1 Peter 5:7) and that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us (see Philippians 4:13). That Jesus will be with us always (see Matthew 28:20).

Sometimes we need to close our eyes; take a deep breath and pray to God for the guidance, wisdom and courage to make that change, stand up for our faith, or have that difficult conversation; and then move forward in God’s strength. We might find ourselves wishing that we’d spent less time worrying and more time reaping the benefits of stepping into a new role, clearing the air, or guiding our children in making good choices. And we might just inspire a family member, friend or colleague to follow suit.

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Tags: Catholic, Christian, faith, worrying