“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”

Luke 12:25

Chew on this for worry or fear:

When you worry, you are running a thought over and over in your mind. What about putting a Bible verse there instead?

The things we worry about, the things we fear, the things we focus on too much can be used for both good or ill. Those things can fight against faith. What if we could find ways to use them instead to draw us closer to Jesus and build our faith? What if we can let those things prompt healthy thoughts for ourselves and those around us?

IN this blog, we’ve talked about meditating on the Word of God as one of the five ways to help us grow in our faith and Bible study. (See the related discussion on the blog, “Meditate on the Word” https://howshouldwethenlive.org/…/meditate-on-the-word…/)

Here is the tip:

Ask yourself, “What am I worried about? What am I afraid of?” You may not even know exactly, so it may take you some time to ascertain. However, if you ask it prayerfully, God will help you understand it.

Once you have identified what you are worried about or afraid of, get out a notebook, journal, scrap of paper, etc. and jot it down. Next, use a Concordance (or just google the thing + the phrase “Bible verse”) to find Bible verses that counter that worry or fear. Write down the verses. Study them. Meditate on them. Read them to yourself. Say them to others. Memorize them. Go back to those verses to fill the place that worry or fear has previously held in your heart and mind.

Worry is something that occupies a space in your mind and thoughts, even in your heart. When you worry you are running those thoughts over and over in your mind. Instead, replace those worry thoughts with Bible verses to run over and over in your mind. Go deep into what the verses mean and what they mean to you. This is a great way to “take captive your thoughts” as is found in 2 Corinthians 10:5.