How to Overcome Constant Worry

Why is it that some people I talk to about the possibility of eternal life are really not that concerned about the subject, while others can’t stop thinking about it, like a young man named Carlos I talked to recently? He told me “I’m in a 24/7 state of constant worry” and as a result he was very passionate in talking about it.

But surely, this kind of worry and stress can’t be good for a person. And it can’t be what God wants for us. After all, didn’t Jesus say “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus offers a “peace that passes all understanding”; yet Carlos’ constant sense of worry and fear actually comes from not knowing just where he stands with Jesus from one day to the next. On the one hand, he has committed some horrible sins in the past, which he says he has repented of and that he has been changing his life around. On the other hand, however, he never knows if he has done enough good to make up for the bad he has done, and he certainly doesn’t want to fall back into the same bad behaviors.

So why don’t more people have this sense of urgency when it comes to spiritual things?
Relatively few of the people I talk to who seem to have a certain sense of peace about spiritual things, often to the point of disinterest, tell me their peace with God comes through faith in Jesus. Instead, I find a whole lot of suppression, denial, diversion, and escapism tactics. Rather than live with the stress and worry that Carlos spoke of, most seem to have settled into the false sense of peace that comes from distraction through entertainment or busyness, or from the self-righteousness that comes from false beliefs about God.

I found Carlos’ urgency to be honest and refreshing, even though it’s not a state of mind I believe God wants for him in the long run. Carlos’ urgency puts him closer to God than the complacency of the disinterested. It is for this reason Jesus often made statements that pushed people out of their peaceful comfort zone. He said “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, not peace, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.”

Jesus wanted to keep people from mind-numbing complacency when he said “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” He knew people need to turn from their false sense of security before they could receive the only true path to peace. They need to know they need to be saved before they are ready to receive the Savior.

So does that mean Carlos needs to stay in a state of constant worry and stress toward God forever? Absolutely not! It just means he needs to turn from the false security he is trying to find by trusting in his own good efforts, and instead put his trust in the one who offers true security.

All of Jesus’ statements offering the “peace that passes all understanding” are directed toward those who put their faith in Him rather than in themselves or someone else. And the many statements Jesus made about bringing a “sword” or causing division are designed to shake up the complacency of those with a false sense of security. I think that message has already hit home with Carlos.