Are you a worrier? Are you one of those people who is never happy unless you are worrying about something?
Do you worry about anything and everything?
A recent survey has found that people are more worried about debt problems and money troubles than their health over the next six months.
This is according to the Hopes and Fears survey, in which almost a third of the 2,023 UK adults questioned admitted that their biggest concern for the immediate future is money above anything else.
The most prevalent finance-related worries included:
- Not being able to make ends meet
- Falling into further debt problems
- The economy slipping into a double-dip recession
- A friend or family member experiencing debt problems
- Being made redundant or becoming unemployed and not being able to find another job
- Standards of living falling
- Government cuts
Worries about health seemed not to be a top priority compared to money worries, as just 23 per cent of people said they were concerned for their own wellbeing and the health of family members. This is an about-turn compared to six months ago, when health was the biggest concern, followed by worries over finance and debt management in second place.
So are you a worrier?
I have a little survey for you to do, to see how much of a worrier you are.
Follow the instructions on the sheet.
A TEST TO WORRY ABOUT
This is a little quiz adapted from Harvard researcher Edward Hallowell. Score yourself on each question from 0(not at all) to 3(definitely yes).
1 Do you wish you worried less?
Do worries sometimes pop into your mind and take over your thinking like annoying, little gnats? Do you find compliments and/or reassurances hard to take? Are you more concerned than you wish you were with what others think of you?
2 How much do you procrastinate?
3 Do you avoid confrontations?
4 Do you ever feel compelled to worry that a certain bad thing might happen out of an almost superstitious feeling that if you don’t worry about it, the bad thing will happen, while if you do worry about it, your worrying might actually prevent the negative outcome?
5 Do you “worry about your worry”? Do you sometimes feel God is disappointed at your lack of faith?
6 Are you worried about what your score will be on this quiz?
If you scored a 0, you are either a remarkably confident person or else you are in complete denial.
If your score is 9 or less, worry does not trouble you much.
If you are between 10 and 18, you may often find yourself troubled by anxiety.
If you scored over 18, it may well be that worry is a major source of pain in your life. You may want to talk about this part of your life with some trusted friends, and it may be that telling a doctor or finding a good counsellor could be helpful.
So who is a worrier?
Who scored over 18?
A story about worry
Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!”
Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass.
The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!”
Matthew 8; 23- 27 (The Message)
Jesus was asleep in the boat when the storm arrives. How often have you thought that? He is just not listening to me.
The disciples were worried. They were worried about what might happen. They were worried for their lives.
They wake Jesus up and with a few simple words, the sea became as smooth as glass.
John Ortberg says that “Jesus was a non-anxious presence” Jesus carried peace with him. He goes into say “”Peace does not come from finding a lake with no storms. It comes from having Jesus in the boat.
We cannot escape worries, but we can travel life with Jesus in the boat,
What do you worry about?
What is top of your worry list today? Maybe you have a top 3. Write them down, this is just between you and God.
Bring those worries and place them in this bowl and as you leave pick up a piece of paper from this second bowl.
We are going to play swop shop. The deal is that for every worry you are prepared to swop with Jesus you will get one of these worry busters.
Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:1
[ A psalm of David. ] Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
Proverbs 12:25
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
Matthew 6:31
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?
Matthew 6:34
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’
Matthew 7:3
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
Luke 12:26
And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
1 Peter 3:14
But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.
Matthew 13:22
“The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.
Philippians 4:6
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.