Family Counseling Ministries - Worrying is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God. When we are worried or anxious we demonstrate lack of faith in God. In this 2nd part of a 4-article series, Dr. Don Dunlap explains that worrying not only wastes God-given time, but also has damaging effects on our bodies. He urges us to be confident of the fact that God is in control of every detail of our lives, both good and bad.

God expects His children to obey the command that He gives them in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious for anything.” Disobedience to this command is sinful. When we are worried or anxious we demonstrate our lack of faith in God. We are actually saying, “God cannot handle this situation in my life.” The writer of 1 Peter 5:7 assures Believers that the opposite is true:

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

God is in control of every detail of our lives and He has commanded us not to worry.

Worrying is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God. God speaks of His sovereignty in Isaiah 45:7,

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

 

 

Worrying wastes time and God wants His children to redeem the time.

Being anxious is sinful because it wastes time. God entrusts the precious commodity of time to each of His children and He expects them to use it wisely. In Ephesians 5:16 we read this exhortation, “Make the most of your time because the days are evil.” Someday we will all give an account to God of how we used our time. We are guilty of irresponsible stewardship when we squander the time that God gives us in needless worrying. We should make a consistent, diligent effort to “redeem the time.”

Prolonged, excessive worrying damages our body.

Anxiety causes physical damage to our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit. Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Some physical consequences of worrying are muscle tension and aching, fatigue, restlessness, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, cold and clammy extremities, and hot or cold flashes. Other physical manifestations of anxiety include dizziness or light-headedness, chronic nausea or stomach distress, numbness or tingling sensations and tightness in the chest area.

People who are prone to worry often have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. They may also experience irritability or edginess and they may find it hard to concentrate.

The greatest antidote to worrying is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

 

We will never find security and peace until we have a personal relationship with God, through Christ Jesus. Only then can we appropriate the biblical principles of overcoming worry and anxiety. Once we belong to Him, He becomes our Heavenly Father and we can “put away” worry and anxiety. He will teach us to rest confidently in Him and to trust in His Word.

Dr. Don Dunlap, a pioneer in the placement of Pastoral Counselors in the offices of Christian physicians, has conducted over twenty thousand appointments during his ministerial career. His counseling practice includes adults, children and families in crisis. Dr. Dunlap is committed to facilitating a network of telephone counselors. His goal is to provide help for the many people unable to meet face to face with a competent Bible-based counselor. For a complete library of Dr. Dunlap’s articles, indexed by topic, go to Family Counseling Ministries. You may also make an appointment for personal telephone counseling by clicking on Family Counseling Ministries. Family Counseling Ministries is a Christianity.com ministry Partner.