Q:
My husband says I'm just a worrier, and maybe I am, but I can't help but be concerned about all the bad things that might happen to us. I tell him I was just born this way, but he says I need to stop worrying so much. How can I? It's just the way I am.
A:
We’re all different, of course, and it’s true that some people seem to be born worriers, just as some people never seem to think about the future.
But both extremes are wrong, because both can easily lead us astray. The person who worries all the time ends up riddled with anxiety and stress, and often makes life difficult for those around them. On the other hand, the person who never thinks about the future easily ends up with troubles they could have prevented, and likewise makes life difficult for others. The Bible says, “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps” (Proverbs 14:15).
How can you become less of a worrier? The key is to learn to give your worries to God, and trust your life and your future into His hands. If God didn’t love us or care what happens to us, we’d have reason to worry and be anxious about the future. But He does love us, and He does care what happens to us! The Bible says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).
Begin by turning to Christ and asking Him to come into your life. Then when worries threaten to overwhelm you, bring them to God in prayer—and leave them there. The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).