shared by Thomas DiVita
Did you know that “worry-warts” usually have a higher than average I.Q.? But, they also tend to have a bad case of the “what ifs.” What if I wreck the carâ¦or get sickâ¦or lose my job? Most of these things never actually happen, but the fear of it overwhelms them from living life NOW.
Is fear causing you to hide from someone? A boss? A husband or wife? A touchy co-worker? A strong-willed child? When God called to Adam, ‘Where are you?’ he replied, “I hid. I was afraid'” — and we’ve all been hiding ever since! We hide behind forced smiles, agreeable words we don’t mean, or social events we detest. Or worse â we hide behind things we do believe but don’t express because we’re afraid of what people might think.
All of these worries and fears can make us sick — we stay in, don’t have an appetite, have headaches, high blood pressure and so forth. These things cause injury to our bodies, and the fear of making waves makes us resentful. We alienate ourselves and worry some more.
Chronic worry will steal your joy because worry is just fear that has unpacked its bags, signed a long-term lease and moved in. You can’t be joyful and fearful at the same time, they’re just not compatible. When you live in fear it means you do not trust God. “Be glad in the Lord and shout for you” (Psalm 32:11). Jesus said, “I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy.” (John 17:13).
So when you can’t think of a solitary thing to be happy about, be glad that you’re still held securely in the everlasting arms of God! So be happy and full of joy! A smile is like the flu, it is contagious. Pass it on to someone!