How to Stop Worrying (and Why God Wants You to Stop)

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Have you developed a habit of worrying? It’s one of those habits that most of us want to learn how to break but aren’t sure how to do it. With God’s help, you can stop worrying and trust Him more.

Some people are more prone to worry than others and may worry over health, finances, body image, loved ones, politics, terrorism, or any number of triggers all at the same time. Even if anxiety seems to be part of your personality, you don’t have to be held hostage by it. You can learn ways to overcome it.

Other people begin worrying when a traumatic event occurs. It’s natural to experience anxiety when your world is rocked by loss, however, you can gain help and healing by talking with a counselor. In counseling, you can discover the root causes of your worries and deal with them in healthy ways.

Why It’s Important to Stop Worrying

You probably already know that worrying isn’t good for you and it certainly doesn’t increase your happiness or sense of self-worth. Worrying may even be costing you more than only your peace of mind (which is highly valuable, by the way).

When you worry, your brain is on high alert, whether there is a real threat or not. During stress, your body produces hormones to help you take flight or fight as if there were a true threat. This response system works well in life-threatening situations. But if you experience this stress response day after day, week after week, the stress hormones can wreak havoc on your physical health.

You may experience disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal problems, adverse skin conditions, rapid heartbeat, and more if you have a worry habit. Worrying year after year may even decrease your life expectancy. Fortunately, there are steps to take to give your brain and body a break from the stress caused by worrying.

Why God Wants You to Stop Worrying

God already knows your thoughts. He doesn’t want you to focus on things that are outside of your control. God wants you to trust him instead of ruminating on worrisome things all day long.

God wants you to stop worrying so you can have victory in Jesus. Satan would love nothing more than to keep you in a state of anxiety, doubt, and fear. If he can trap you in worry, he knows you won’t reach your full potential for what God wants to do through you.

God can help you overcome by his power and strength. You don’t have to rely on your own willpower. You can rely on him every time you are tempted to worry and rest in Jesus instead. This will take practice, but in time, you can defeat anxiety with God’s help.

4 Ways to Stop Worrying

It’s important to have a plan when you want to stop your worry habit. When you have a plan in place, you’ll have a better chance of succeeding. You’ll also be prepared when Satan wants to attack you with temptations to fret and fear. Use these tactics when worry creeps up on you.

Surrender your worries to God.

Think of your biggest worry right now. If you could control it, you would, wouldn’t you? But since you can’t control it, you are tempted to worry about it, right? Make a list of everything that you can control and a list of everything you cannot control. Surrender the things you cannot control to God and focus on the things you can control. What you focus on grows, so make sure you are focusing on the right things.

God is in control of everything. He is the only one who has perfect control over everything in your life. God loves you unconditionally and allows all things to work together for your good, even things you may worry about (Rom. 8:28).

The night before Jesus died, he surrendered his biggest trial over to God. He said, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mt. 26:39 NLT) He trusted his Father to handle the matter perfectly. We know that it was for the greater good that Jesus died because he died for us.

Jesus’ example of total surrender can help you surrender your anxieties over to God. Every day, you can offer up your worries to God in prayer. Hand them over to him and trust him to take care of those matters. Do this as many times as needed to surrender to God, and you’ll experience God’s perfect peace.

Stay in the present moment.

So many of our worries are rooted in an unknown future. The time that we spend worrying about the future could be better spent in so many ways. If we stay stuck in a scary, unknown future, our joy for the present day can be sapped away.

Take measures to stay in the present moment. Practice mindfulness, which is simply appreciating everything with your five senses in a slow, intentional way. Praise God as you experience the delight in everyday sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. A few mindful moments each day will give you peace instead of anxiety.

You can also benefit from keeping a daily gratitude journal. When you are looking for things to be thankful for, your mind will be occupied in healthier ways. Use a notebook to write five reasons to be grateful each day. This regular practice will help you stay in the present moment.

Meditate on God’s Word.

Instead of repeating things you worry about in your mind, you can repeat God’s Word through meditation. Christian meditation is simply focusing on God’s Word and thinking about it deeply. It’s also a proven way to decrease stress and increase peace.

Here are some key verses you can meditate on when worry strikes:

The Lord Himself will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry. – Deuteronomy 31:8

God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. – Psalm 18:30

Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry! I have always told you what will happen. You are my witnesses. There is no other God but me. I know of no other Rock; I am the only One. – Isaiah 44:8

So don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. – Philippians 4:6

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. – Jeremiah 29:11

Memorize these verses by putting them on sticky notes and glancing at them throughout the day. Then, you’ll be better prepared to fight back when Satan tempts you to worry.

Declare the truth about your situation.

It’s important to tell yourself the truth about the situation that causes you to worry. You may believe Satan’s lies about that problem. When we tell ourselves the truth about our worries, the lies fade away and our faith can grow stronger.

You can incorporate the truths from the verses above to make declarations of faith. Here are a few examples:

“The Lord is going before me today. He is with me and will not leave or forget me. I choose to trust him.”

“God is my shield against anxious thoughts. He will help me fight them off today.”

“I am trusting in God as my Rock today. I will not allow worry to defeat me, because I’m standing firm on the Rock.”

Help for Your Worry Problem

Still stuck in a worry trap? A caring counselor can help you break free. Many people need additional help in identifying anxiety triggers and putting them to rest. They can help you to stop worrying and start trusting God more.