Who are Worry and Fear, really?
The words on the pages of my journal were riddled with anxiety, filled with self-condemnation,
and disdain. I was worried, wondering frantically if I had done the “right thing” once again.
Trapped in my own mind, I was unable to move through my own thoughts.
I felt as though there was no way out.
This time He won’t come through, I thought to myself. This time it’s up to me; He has done enough.
I had zero grace for myself and little trust in my God. Deep down, I knew God loved me — yet I
didn’t know His actual faithfulness. I feared everything was really up to me and I would screw it
all up and ruin my life — which was quite an extreme thought for the situation at hand.
I felt completely unworthy of anything good. I questioned myself at every step. My thought life
had spun completely out of control.
Fear, on the other hand, has a way of hiding itself deep within our souls — going unnoticed for
decades, masquerading as us, lying, and saying that this is just who we are.
There is something deeply wrong with me, we think.
I wonder what it is.
I’d try to put words to it, but the swirl would start. I would end up confused once again,
wondering what on earth was wrong with me.
Lindsay, no one cares.
This is how it is.
This is who you are.
There’s no way out, my worried mind would murmur.
But then a kind voice would suddenly interrupt and say, “Moment by moment, Lindsay. Walk
with Me moment by moment, and I will show you.”
God is a loving, patient, and kind Father — and He was going to walk me through this process
step by step.
I had to hold tightly onto His hand. I knew if I was going to overcome my debilitating insecurity
when it came to men, dating and marriage, it would take an act of the miracle-working God.
I knew it, He knew it, my friends knew it — and heck, all the angels in Heaven knew it, too.
I would need to look to Him at every turn, or I wouldn’t make it.
God kindly took my hand and led me moment by moment to the truth that fear which causes
worry is not from Him.
I started to see worry as a bigger deal than society likes to tell us it is, mainly because it comes to
kill, steal and destroy.
The thing about worry is, it feels normal.
I wonder if I am pretty enough?
That’s worry.
I wonder if he likes me?
That’s worry.
What if he doesn’t choose me?
That’s worry.
What if I get hurt?
That’s worry.
What will other people think?
That’s worry.
Worry is a thief. It will steal from you anything it can — your peace, your joy, your security, even
your health. Just as we wouldn’t allow a thief into our home to take whatever he wanted, we
must not allow the thief of worry into our mind to steal from us, either.
I don’t know if you have ever felt tormented by worry, by the questions in your head — questions
like, “Am I lovable?”
But these questions are set up to take us out, and they must be dealt with diligently.
I thought these questions were just a normal part of my personality. But after decades of
believing lies that kept me stressed out and on guard, protecting myself even from good things, I
realized this was not okay.
Feeling completely unworthy of anything good in life was my norm. I felt such disdain for myself
that I couldn’t receive good things.
I couldn’t receive love.
I didn’t know my inability to receive love was at the root of my worried mind.
So Where Do We Start?
Worry, who are you? I wondered.
So, like any good word nerd, I looked up worry on a dictionary app — and was a little surprised
by what I found.
The definition said, to choke or strangle, to harass by tearing, biting or nipping, especially at the
throat.
I took a screenshot of the definition after double-checking that I’d actually typed in the word
“worry” — because that was not what I was expecting.
I thought it would say something like, “a condition all humans struggle with.” But it didn’t say
that. It said “to choke or to strangle.” I noticed not all dictionaries defined the word worry this
way, so I dug a little deeper to find its origin. The English word “worry” comes from the Old
English word “wyrgan” and Old High German word “wurgen” — both meaning “to strangle, to
choke.”
With a screenshot of my newfound intel in hand, I couldn’t help but think how someone, at some
point, had decided to normalize this otherwise tormenting word.
My screenshot said worry meant: “to disturb something repeatedly, to assail with rough or
aggressive attack or treatment: to torment.”
To torment?
I always thought worrying about someone was a kind gesture. Like “Hey, I worry about you.
That means I love you because I think of you often.”
But no, that is not what it said. It said “to torment.”
And torment is not a kind gesture.
Jesus talks about the “tormentor” (referring to the enemy) in Scripture. He says:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly” (John 10:10).
When I think about my times of extreme worry in life — wondering if I was good enough, curious
if I was worthy — I realized it absolutely stole my joy, destroyed my peace, and killed my hope. I
realized by worrying, we are basically letting ourselves be tormented.
I knew what the Bible said in Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious [worried] for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God” and
He will provide peace.
Ah, peace, yes — that is what we want.
And Jesus is Peace. Therefore we know there is a way out and that way is a Person who died on
the cross for us 2,000 years ago.
We ask Him to help us.
Through prayer and through conversation with our Shepard. Our Prince of Peace. He is available
to us 24/7.
Let’s try now!
Grab your journal and let’s ask Father God a few questions.
Write “Me:” and then ask Him about whatever is on your heart. For example:
Me: Father God, what do I worry about?
Then write “God:” and listen to what He might be saying.
God: (let Him answer)
Okay, it’s your turn again. It’s a conversation.
Me: Father God, what do you want me to do with my worries?
God: (pause to hear what He says & write it down)
When asking God, please know He will never contradict His Word, the Bible. He will also be
encouraging and loving, because that’s His character according to the Bible. Even if He is telling
you something that may be hard for you to hear, like a good Father might, He will still be kind,
because that is His character. Any mean voice you hear could either be yourself or the enemy of
your soul.
Now, turn that worry into a prayer! (And remember, trust is a choice we get to make in every
situation. It’s not always a feeling.)
So let’s pause to pray, because the Bible says, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus. (See Philippians 4:6-7)
Pray this prayer or a prayer of your own heart’s cry to the Lord for understanding, repentance, or
help. He will answer.
Father God,
I am so grateful that You are real, that You are big, that You are powerful, and that You truly
love me — whether I feel it or not. You are love, and I choose to believe it. I believe You knit me
together in my mother’s womb, whether anyone knew I was coming or not.
I believe You know the end from the beginning. I believe You sent Your Son to die for the anxious
thoughts in my head and the healing of my mind. Thank You, Jesus, for Your peace, for Your
blood, and Your forgiveness. Thank You that I can be free from worry, no matter what anyone
else says.
I know and choose to believe that You are bigger than my thoughts, my feelings, what my doctors
say or the world around me. You are God and I proclaim this to be true. Thank You for Your
healing love. Continue to heal me and help me to arrest every thought in my head that leads me
to worry.
In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray!
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Adapted from Letting Love In, How God Renews Relationships By Crushing Your Inner Critic by Lindsay Morgan Snyder. Click here to learn more about this title.
This relatable, easy to read book gives guidance to crushing your Inner Critic and spiritual truth to answer the “what do I do now” questions plaguing readers — all with a dash of Snyder’s personal struggles and lighthearted humor. Tackling ten universal lies people of all ages face — from fear and unworthiness to constant worry and discouragement. Snyder reveals the truth to help overcome those lies.
Through practical insight, Snyder leads readers on a journey to identify the internal lies, leading them to crush their Inner Critic one lie at a time. The book has been said by readers to have “heart healing power.”
“The internal fight inside our souls is hard because no one else can tell what’s going on,” Snyder writes. Each chapter features practical guidance to overcome lies that keep us from love. In addition, every chapter ends with action steps and prayers. Snyder writes from the perspective of an empathetic friend on the journey.
Click Here to get in on the Letting Love In insider freebies, fun Facebook parties, honest, real talks about moving past lies that hold us back from love and an old-school book club with a twist.