Article Summary
In a world filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and constant noise, worry has become a common struggle. This article explores the difference between worry and faith, highlighting how fear often stems from a desire to control the uncontrollable. Drawing from Scripture and real-life experiences, it emphasizes that while life’s storms are inevitable, God offers a deeper peace that transcends circumstances. By shifting focus from “what if” to trust in God’s sovereignty, believers can release anxiety and embrace His presence. True peace is found not in control, but in surrender—resting in the assurance that God is always present and faithful.
By Dr. Eric Scalise
President, Hope for the Heart
Turn on the TV, radio, a podcast, or tap your favorite social media app, and your senses are often bombarded by a multitude of sights and sounds, shocking events and powerful emotion. Life is full of unpredictable, and at times, undesirable, moments. Human nature often responds with an anxious heart, full of worry. Storms happen.
And nowhere in Scripture does it say we will be immune from the storms of life. In fact, Jesus stated just the opposite, “In the world you will have tribulation.” Yet, bookending this reality are also His words of comfort and assurance: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace . . . But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ESV).
You Can’t Control Everything
The Rev. Billy Graham once said, “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” As I sit down to write these words, once again, we find ourselves a nation at war. Though distant in thought and thousands of miles away for some, it can feel as close as the next heartbeat for many others who have loved ones in the line of duty and harm’s way.
My wife and I remember the day quite well. Our twin sons came home from high school one afternoon—only a couple of months before graduation—and announced they had decided to enter the United States Marine Corps. The terrorist attacks of September 11 were still fresh in our nation’s psyche and military operations were already underway in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
As parents, we had visions of college and “safe” jobs with a future. When I sat down with them, I wanted to make sure they clearly understood the inherent risks associated with their decision (i.e., a parental lecture), including awareness that Marines in particular, are usually the first to go into any combat environment. One of my sons looked at me and calmly said, “Dad, how do you know that God might not be asking me to die for my country?”
End of conversation and now, after multiple deployments, we dialogue with the Lord on our knees. The best place to take our cares and concerns, our worrisome and anxious thoughts, is to the One who is Sovereign over all things at all times and in all ways.
During the angst of the Civil War, when the very fabric of our country was being ripped and torn apart, Abraham Lincoln confessed, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
The Lay of the Land
The American Psychiatric Association reported in 2022 that anywhere between 50-70% of the national population feels anxious and struggles with worry over any number of issues. And according to a recent Harvard Institute Study, 47% of Americans feel a pervasive sense of hopelessness as they consider both their present and future status in life.
Research by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reveals that almost 50% of Americans display symptoms of anxiety, with over 19% of adults (40+ million people) having a diagnosable disorder (the most prevalent in the U.S.). Across one’s lifespan, the number jumps to nearly a third of the entire population. Sobering.
What is Worry?
At its core, worry is a mental and emotional state characterized by persistent thoughts of concern, anxiety, or unease about potential problems or uncertain outcomes. It is future-focused (“what if” scenarios), emotionally draining (tension and anxiety), repetitive (obsessive and intrusive thoughts), and control-seeking (trying to manage or predict what will happen). Worry frequently leaves someone stuck in fear and angst. Healthy concern, on the other hand, can be constructive, leading to protective or helpful action.
The Worry Struggle
From a biblical standpoint, worry is often seen as a struggle between fear and trust – shifting away from God’s provision and moving toward uncertainty. We fear the loss of control, approval, security, and more.
Yet, faith anchors our identity in Christ, not our circumstances. The Hebrew words for worry in the Old Testament focus on a heavy heart, and the Greek words in the New Testament speak to a divided mind. Consider the following comparisons.
- Worry competes with trusting God, but faith invites the shift from “What if?” to “Even if.” Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.”
- Worry tries to control the uncontrollable, but faith rests in the assurance that God is sovereign over all. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
- Worry drains us and rarely solves problems, but faith brings peace and perspective. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)
- Worry makes one want to quit and give up, but faith asks us to surrender to God. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
- Worry directs us to focus on our feelings, but faith directs us to focus on the truth. “Whatever is true… noble… right… think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
- Worry lives in the future, but faith lives in the grace of today. “Do not worry about tomorrow… each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
God’s Perfect Peace
I had the blessing of knowing Corrie Ten Boom personally and was in her home just a week before she passed into heaven on her 90th birthday. She often spoke about her time in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II where she lost both her father and her sister, as well as wrestling with anxiousness and fear. In learning to survive one day at a time, God gave her this insight: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
She learned this lesson as a young girl, and in a moment of fear and worry, her father asked, “When do I give you the ticket for the train to Amsterdam?” Her reply, “Just before we get on.” He then explained that God will always provide the strength and grace in the same way – not in advance, but exactly when it is needed.
In the midst of your worry, it’s hard to find peace in the storm. But, when you find yourself knotted up, trying to control, and lacking hope, try to simply pause. Then, right where you are, lean into the disciplines of silence, solitude, and stillness. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). You’ll find Him there, and in the quiet, you may also find you have new eyes to see clearly that, “God’s got this.”
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