Do you ever think about the origins and effects of worry? I know, it may sound like a weird question, but it’s actually a really good one. Worry is something we all deal with, although some more than others. Worry-warts, we all know at least one. Maybe, that’s even a label you’ve placed upon yourself?
I used to think that worry was about staying ahead and being well-prepared. It was about trying to know and understand all the potential scenarios so that I could be prepared. The problem is that worry feeds worry. And there’s no way anyone can be prepared for every potential issue that might arise. What felt like an obsessive need to control all the pieces eventually led me to a dark place.
About 15 years ago, I began to realize that this practice of worry wasn’t helping, it was making things worse. I began to deal with significant physical issues that literally isolated me from the very things in life I wanted to enjoy. Worry was making me sick—literally.
We all experience anxious moments, but if we don’t learn how to deal with them properly, things can become out of control. That’s what was beginning to happen to me, causing my body to shut down and work in dysfunctional ways. It took some time, but I began to learn about the origins and effects of worry. I began to see that the physical symptoms I was experiencing were a direct product of my mismanagement of worry and anxiety. Even more, I learned that worry and anxiety were the product of fear.
The origin of worry is rooted in fear, which we see all the way back in the garden of Eden. Before the fall of humanity, man and woman walked in complete dependence and trust with God. They were cared for, loved, honored, and given the responsibility to oversee the garden.
With one simple question, the enemy opened the door painting a picture of independence from God. The thought that God might be withholding created space for fear to press in. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit they opened the door for fear.
Worry and the need to control are manifestations of fear. It’s a part of our broken nature. And it affects every part of our being: body, mind, and soul. Check out today’s episode, on The Pastor and the Counselor as Pastor Ryan Brown and counselors, Jon Burchard and Corryn Vento discuss the origins and effects of worry.
EpisodeWritten by Maureen Brown
Maureen Is our Worship and Communications Pastor. She has served New Life Community alongside Pastor Ryan for 19 years. She is passionate about Jesus and His Church, which is why she does what she does. Maureen has been leading worship, teaching, and mentoring her entire adult life. She graduated in 1996, from Emmanuel Bible College with a Bachelor of Religious Education in Professional Studies with a double minor in Christian Education and Music and then married Ryan—the love of her life. Maureen is a blogger so she brings a special set of gifts that are well used in the area of Communications here at NLC.