Put your Worries in a Box

I once received excellent advice regarding a stressor I was dealing with. This was a stressor that would stick with me for over a year. It was to be a marathon, not a sprint.

This person told me that I needed to begin to think about putting my problem “in a box.” There would be times when I could do something about the issue, and times when I could do nothing. In the times that I need to take action, I should take the problem “out of the box,“ take care of the issue, then put it “back in the box."

When there are times that we can do nothing about our problems, we rob ourselves of joy by worrying about them. I agree that these issues are often very important. When it is time to take action, we certainly must. Yet when there is nothing more we can do about it, we need to corral our worries. Worrying never solves any problems, it often simply leads to new ones.

Worry sometimes encourages us to do things that are not smart. Worry sometimes clouds discernment, and makes us less able to see truth. Worry sometimes makes us feel worthless and unworthy. Worry robs us of the things we can do now, by making us stay focused on things that we can do nothing about.

I believe that worry is inspired by our enemy. It is true that the Holy Spirit will convict us when we do things we shouldn’t, but that conviction usually leads to good fruit. Worry usually leads to bad fruit, and serves no useful purpose.

How do we overcome our feelings of worry? By consciously focusing our minds on the things of God! Philippians 4:8 is an excellent place to start. "Whatever is good, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on such things." The struggle we are going through is not good, but there still is good in the world. God will use the stressers somehow for his good purpose. God still loves us through it all. We still have a reason to hope! We must find the sources of hope, and meditate on those things.

Friends, put your worries in a box! When it is time today to take action on your struggles, trust the good counsel around you and the indwelling Holy Spirit to help you know when that needs to occur. Say your apologies. Offer forgiveness, to those who wronged you and to yourself.  

Don't wait for your problem to resolve before you start to find joy again in the world.  As you search for things to be thankful for, your worries will corral themselves.