Q:
I admit I'm a worrier, but I just can't help it. I've always been this way, and no matter what people say to try to reassure me, I still worry about what might happen -- not just to me, but to everyone in my family. Are some people just natural worriers?
A:
Yes, some of us do worry more than most people do. And some of us are exactly the opposite — not worrying about anything and even ignoring obvious dangers.
But neither extreme is healthy or right. The constant worrier is always stressed and never at peace, while the carefree person who ignores life’s dangers often ends up making disastrous decisions about their future, or even putting their lives at risk. The Bible wisely says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” (Proverbs 14:8).
The key for someone like you is to learn to trust God for the future, and to commit your worries into His hands. After all, God knows the future, and He has promised to be with us when we turn to Him in faith and trust. As long as we think the future is up to us, we’ll always be nervous. But when we understand that our loving God is in control, then we don’t need to worry and fret about the future.
Begin by trusting Jesus Christ for the most important reality you (or anyone else) will ever face: your eternal destiny. By faith ask Him to come into your life and save you — and He will. Then ask Him to help you commit your worries into His hands every day. The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).