Worried Sick
It is an interesting expression “worried sick.” Is it true? Does worry make us sick?
The answer lies in understanding worry.
What is worry and how does it function?
I believe that all worry is an “imagination” that relates to future thoughts. All imaginations are projections.
When scripture says, “Do not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 7: 34), you see the reference to the future.
Why do people worry?
I believe that worry is an attempt to control the future.
For example, if we can imagine all the possibilities related to some future event, then maybe we can anticipate any issues and overcome them before they have a chance to hurt us.
The problem with worry is that most of the concerns never happen.
The time spent worrying is, in most cases, a waste of time.
Also, worrying causes us to live in our mind which blocks our ability to have a relationship with another person in the present moment.
So, how does one deal with worry?
I believe that the solution is identical to how we deal with fear and anxiety, which are also future imaginations.
If we can identify the worrying thinking, we can write down the words that describe the worry.
Then, we can choose, with our free will, to invite Jesus into those worrying thoughts and ask him to reveal to us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Truth that he wants us to know related to those specific words.
Prayer is the method. Listening prayer is the specific technique.
When we pray and ask Jesus to reveal his Truth to us, the first words, the first pictures and/or the first impressions that come to our consciousness are the Truths that he wants us to receive.
Once we receive His Truth, we then have the additional step which is to obey that Truth.
“Take captive every thought [past, present and future] to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
My experience with this approach is that His Truth causes the worry to stop bothering us and we become free to live in the present.
The longer we worry, the more stress we experience and the less peace we have in our souls. As a result, the stress and the worry actually produce in us a dis-ease that makes us sick.
The thing I know for sure is that peace in our souls that comes from God’s Truth makes us calmer, happier and more healthy.
So, why not give it a try?
When you find yourself worrying about anything, write the words of the worry down. Then, invite Jesus into those specific words and listen. See for yourself if the words that he brings to your mind helps set you free.
If it works, pass it on.
