Worry is the Chief thief of our hope! It is relentless. Like a stalker, it lies in wait, anticipating the next moment you will dare to start taking intentional action steps to move forward into your calling. Without fail, each time you dare to begin, here it comes to badger you, stealing your focus and distracting you from continuing in your forward momentum.

Today, I want to expose this thief for what it is. I want to reveal its tactics hoping that this exposure will aid you in spotting worry coming after you from afar before it steals your hope.

I want this year to be everything you hoped it could be. The ability to anticipate the tactics that cause you to slow down or become stagnant will help you proactively rise above them! Worry is undoubtedly one of those tactics that work against your greatness.

So, if worry has slowly started to creep in on you, I’ve written this article with you in mind, so please continue reading.

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First, Let’s Talk About Hope? 

Hope is a theme that runs through all of my writing. I talk about it so much because I know it is essential to living a fulfilling life.

Hope is the ability to look ahead and expect great things to happen. Keeping hope alive in our hearts, even in the most challenging moments in life, preserves our inner light, allowing us to continue believing that our highest dreams are possible.

It is the confidence that hope provides that worry wants to strip away.

Hope, A Prerequisite of Faith

Faith requires hope. Hope and faith are often used interchangeably, but these words are not the same. Hope is the ability to believe in something or someone confidently. In contrast, faith is the ability to act. Thus, each time you exercise the bravery needed to take specific and deliberate action toward your heart’s desires, you are acting on faith that is rooted in hope.

Hopefully, this clarifies why hope must exist within us to have a fulfilling life.

Now let’s dive into why we must protect hope from the oppressive impacts of worry.

[Jesus asked], ‘Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you?” – Luke 12:25-26 TPT.

Worry does not add value to my life.
Worry does not add value to your life.
WORRY DOES NOT ADD VALUE TO OUR LIVES!

I refer to worry as a THIEF because it can only take; it never gives. No matter how long we find ourselves trapped in its cycles, it cannot change anything about our lives for good.

Instead, it deducts. It viciously steals love, sleep, joy, contentment, time, and productivity away from us. It attacks our thoughts, forcing us to mull over worst-case scenarios incessantly, and envokes fear into our hearts at every possible opportunity.

Worry is an unproductive distraction because it zaps our energy, slows us down, and causes bitter complacency.

Worry is not a suitable companion for a bountiful life. Yet, it lurks in the distance awaiting an audience with you and me.

When Are You Most Susceptible to Worry?

Before I can address how to keep worry away, I must first discuss when you are most prone to its grip.

Worry takes its best shot at being welcomed into our hearts when we are out of control. It knocks on the door of our souls during seasons when we would like to determine our circumstances’ outcomes, but we can’t.

In the absence of control, we are enticed to engage in the negativity that worry can bring into our lives.

How Do You Keep Worry Away?

• Become A Great Steward of Your Thoughts: 

  Have you heard the saying, “The mind is the battleground?” I agree with this sentiment because I know firsthand that our thoughts shape our perspectives on ourselves and the world around us. It is essential to be aware of what you’re thinking about. And, to keep worry at bay, we must only think about true things!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise – Philippians 4:8 NLT.

• Anchor Your Hope to Someone Greater Than You:

  Remember how I said we are most susceptible to worry when we are out of control? When I know I cannot control circumstances; I anchor my Hope in God. I do so because I know He loves me, and I am a witness that the most devastating events in my life have all eventually worked to my advantage in some way.

  Anchoring my Hope to God when I cannot control the outcomes in my life has given me peace, keeping worry away.

• Keep Your Expectations Higher Than Your Right Now:

  What is your highest dream for your life? Who do you believe you are becoming? I ask because you must remember the answers to the questions above when you journey through night seasons in your life.

  Jesus is the best example that I have to drive this point home. Let’s look,

  “Because of the joy awaiting [Jesus], He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” —

  Hebrews 12:2 NLT.

  This verse describes Jesus’ focus while he was being crucified. Instead of focusing on the physical agony and the cultural shame, His focus was on the “joy awaiting” Him. His focus was on the promise that He would be seated beside God.

  One of the best strategies for keeping worry away is remembering what you’re expecting from your life. Better still is remembering the promises that God has made to you in the Bible.

  I can remember times that negative things were happening in my life, and I adopted this simple mantra, “It won’t always be this way.” I’d say that repeatedly, and by doing so, my hope continued to live, which kept worry away.

  Of course, these are not the only strategies to keep worry away. However, I hoped to illustrate that there is no passive way to keep worry away; it takes intentionality. And with intentionality, it is possible to live a worry-free life.

Final Thoughts

In our culture, worry is normalized. And while it is common, if we knew just how costly the impacts of worry were, we would do all that we could not to engage with it.

I have been bogged down by worry, so much so that I was afraid to live life. I now know that is not God’s desire for my life, and I want you to know that it’s not His desire for yours either.

The opposite of worry is peace. Peace is a gift that God has for us. My hope for you is that you experience the gift of peace because peace is the conduit that allows all of God’s goodness to flow freely in your life.

Reflect on These:

1). What outcome are you worried about? How can you Ignite Hope in this area of your life instead?

2). What is your highest expectation for your life?

3). Do you Believe your best days are ahead of you, Why or Why not?

I am looking forward to connecting with you more personally in the comments on this topic!

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Thanks for being here for this week’s Soul Sunday!

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Until Next Time,

Always sending you love, courage and MORE Courage!

Have an amazing week ahead!

Sincerely,

Delanea D.