Why Let Worry Worry You?
Throughout our existence in this world, given life’s many challenges and unknowns, we find ourselves everywhere at any given time, except living in that moment. We are either living in the regrets of yesterday or in the worries of tomorrow. Worry clogs the mind, scatters our attention, leads to distress, and drains both our physical and emotional vitality. Interestingly enough, the word ‘worry’ originates from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘to choke’ or ‘to strangle’ and that is an apt definition of how our life is stifled by worry.
The mind is constantly projecting past incidents, re-enacting entire scenarios, evaluating results and then imagining future possibilities of how things could have worked out differently. Our worrisome mind is swamped with an array of fears filled with “what ifs”. In fact, most things that we worry about do not even materialize, but we indulge our disconcerting thoughts and then become apprehensive about them!
Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.
William Ward as quoted in Let Go of Whatever Holds You Back
The problem is that every time the mind asks the daunting questions, “What if?” and “What then?” we cripple ourselves by falling into a state of despondency. Instead of being paralyzed by fear, we should take it a step further, and answer with firm belief: “Then God”. “What if?” should be met with an automatic response: “Then God’s grace will be sufficient to handle the matter.” As the wise old adage goes, “Let go, and let God”. It is another way of saying that we should let go of our worries and let God stand beside us as we face the challenges of each new day.
When we worry, we show a lack of trust in God’s providence. We should learn to cast all our anxiety upon our beloved Father, for he is willing and able to take care of it for us. One thing we can be assured of is this: for every problem there is not only a solution, but also a divine purpose. When we find ourselves lost in the valleys of mental distress, our loving Father is leading us through a shortcut to the summit of peace. In Divine Light, Maharaj Charan Singh lovingly advises:
Did worry ever help anybody? It only makes one more miserable and unhappy. Form the habit of laughing away your worries. Do not allow them to weigh down upon your heart. Try to adjust yourself to all that God sends. Let him do things in his own way rather than in the way that you desire.
Understanding our sad plight when we are burdened by worries, he further advises:
Give up the habit of worrying and losing your temper. It is easy to be happy and laughing; in fact, easier than it is to fret and frown. God does not want us to be unhappy. Have faith in his goodness and grace.
The most critical survival tool in life is this: Remember that God loves us, that he has not abandoned us, that he is not indifferent to us, and that he is always by our side.