Thursday, October 13, 2011

Top Ten Ways to Tame Your Worry Habit

10. Separate worry from genuine concern. Determine if you can do anything about your situation. If so, sketch a plan to handle it (Proverbs 16:3).
9. Don't worry alone. Share your concerns with a friend or a counselor. You may receive helpful advice. Talking your fears out with someone often reveals solutions that were invisible before (Proverbs 27:9).
8. Take care of your physical body. Regular exercise and adequate rest can defuse a lot of worry. When our bodies are healthy, our minds can handle stress better and react more appropriately (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
7. Do what is right. A guilty conscience can cause more anxiety than a world of problems. Do your best to live above reproach. Take care of mistakes quickly by confessing and seeking frogiveness (Acts 24:16).
6. Look on the bright side. Consciously focus on what is good around you. Don't let yourself speak negatively, even about yourself (Ephesians 4:29).
5. Control your imagination. Be realistic about the problems you face. Try to live in the "here and now" not in the "what might be" (Isaiah 35:3-4).
4. Prepare for the unexpected. Put aside a cash reserve and take sensible measures so you'll be ready if difficulties arise (Proverbs 21:20).
3. Trust God. Keep reminding yourself to put God in your equation. Then when fear knocks, you can send faith to answer the door (Psalm 112:7).
2. Meditate on God's promises. Scripture has the power to transform our minds. Look for Scriptures that deal with your particular areas of anxiety. Answer life's difficulties with God's Word (2 Peter 1:4).
1. And the number one way to tame a worry habit? Pray! Joseph M. Scriven's hymn says it all: "O what peace we often forfeit,/O what needless pain we bear,/All because we do not carry/ everything to God in prayer" (Colossians 4:2).

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