Barb Raveling

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Bible Study on Worry

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Bible Study on WorryIf I were to go to church and say, “I’ve been worrying about my kids all week,” no one would bat an eye.

On the contrary, they’d see it as normal mother behavior – a sign that I love my kids. After all, when you love someone, you worry, right?

So even though the Bible tells us not to worry, we’re reluctant to give it up.  It feels hard-hearted, somehow. Unloving, even.

It also feels a little dangerous. There’s something inside of us that says, “If I can just keep my eye on this problem (by worrying), I can prevent it from happening.” Worry gives us a sense of control, even if it’s a false one.

It’s hard to get motivated to stop worrying because 1) it’s not on the Christian no-no list and 2) everyone else is doing it.

But Jesus tells us not to worry. We can’t get around that.

So what do we do? We start looking at worry from a biblical perspective.  Here’s a Bible study that will help.

Worry Bible Study

1. What are you worried about right now?

2. Read the following Scriptures with your worry in mind. List the reasons you don’t need to worry.

a. Psalm 18:29

b. Psalm 46:1-3,7,10-11

c. Psalm 73:25-26

d. Psalm 84:11

e. Jeremiah 29:11-14

f. Jeremiah 32:27

g. Lamentations 3:22-25

h. Matthew 6:27

i. Matthew 6:32

j. Matthew 6:34

k. Philippians 3:8-12

l. Romans 8:28

m. 1 John 4:4

3. Now look back over all your answers. If general, why don’t you need to worry? Try to list five or six reasons.

4. Why might you think that worry is inevitable—that it’s not really something you can change—it’s just the way you are?

5. Can God change you if you’re a worrier? Why or why not?

6. Romans 12:2 tells us we’re transformed by the renewing of our minds – not by trying to force ourselves to stop doing something. How often do you think you’d need to renew your mind to break free from the habit of worry?

7. How would your life change if you were to break free from worry?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Other posts on worry: How to Stop Worrying, How to Stop Worrying – 11 Questions, 20 Bible Verses About Worry

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Comments

  2. Nice job. I’ve done a lot of study on this subject in the last five or six years as well. I have Isaiah 8:13 sitting on a note faded and wrinkled from age piece of paper sitting next to my sink in the bathroom, “The Lord is the One you are to regard as holy. He is the One you are to fear, He is the One you are to dread.”

    When we worry and fear the the things of this world instead of revering He who controls it all we show our Father irreverence… almost like worshiping idols or trusting in something other than His sovereign hand.

    Great verses! Nice job, Barb. All of us need a constant reminder.

    • Love that verse, Floyd. I think worry often shows us what our idols are. I love the way you put it, about revering our Father. Sometimes it’s a wrestling match to let go of those fears and trust in God alone. His Word helps me do it. Thanks for adding another verse to the collection.

  3. Barb, you hit another home run. I haven’t been worrying lately, but I can see why I need to do this study now to prepare me for the next worry warts that pop up in my head. They don’t lie dormant for long when it comes to our kids….

  4. Excellent post!
    I tend to worry and justify it.
    But over the past few years God is helping me see my worry stems from not trusting Him as I should.

    Trusting Him and not worrying is something I have to continually renew my mind as it’s so easy for me to slip into and not even realize it.

    Love your questions and scriptures! Great post.

  5. I had not looked at mommy-worries like that before Barb! Very eye opening : )

    I like what you’ve said about worry giving us a false sense of self-control. I find that when worry, it’s really a faith and trust problem…worry is just a symptom. Great questions and scriptures to think on.

    • Yes, we’ve had some interesting discussions on worry in my Bible studies. It’s so great to hear what others are thinking, and the idea that it seems unloving to not worry has come up several times. It does give us a false sense of control. I used to think I could keep the airplane wings in the air by worrying. :)

  7. Barb, this is an excellent study, one of my favorite topics in Scripture. I love the passage in Mat 6. Recently I was studying the beatitudes and I realized that Jesus talked about the sin of worry much more than he talked about “bad” sins like lust! It always amazes me how some sins we think aren’t really so bad and others we condemn people for.

    • Yes, that is interesting, isn’t it? I once wrote down all the dos and don’t of the beatitudes and realized it was about half and half for behavior and heart issues – or maybe it was more in the heart department, I can’t remember. I also thought it was interesting to look what all He said. It would be an interesting youth activity to make a list of the main things we think Christians shouldn’t do and then compare it to what Jesus emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount.

  8. I can’t think of a better thing to study then worry and what God has to say on it. For sure worry relates to control or a lack of it. God most certainly can change a worrier into a thankful person. Worrier usually are not thankful. When I realized that truth it changed my whole outlook. I teach a bible study and as I listen to each woman share their heart struggle what ever I was worried about seem so small. One has a husband in prison for sexual abusing their kids, one has MS, three are widows, several are divorced. We are studying through a book called, Strong Women, Soft Hearts. Worrying will not soften the heart but deplete us of all strength. Great post Barb.

    • Wow, Betty, there’s a lot of wisdom in your comment. Love what you said about how worry won’t soften the heart but deplete us of strength. Also interesting what you said about thankfulness. I’ve found that the best way for me to break free from worry is to pray with thanksgiving. That gets my focus off me and onto God – both what He’s done for me and how capable He is.

  9. Great study! My wife and myself where just taking the other day about the dangers of worry. How it has the potential to cause more harm than good. I’m going to share this post with her, I know she will enjoy it.

  10. Great post & study Barb. Like what you said: worry gives us a false sense of control. It’s so easy for me to brush off worry as no big deal or a small matter. But it isn’t.
    Thanks for this reminder!

  11. John Piper has some great sermons an anxiety on DesiringGod.org. I listen to those quite often when I’m going through stressful times. For some reason, hearing the word is often more permeating to me than reading it. Sometimes it’s that way, at least.

    • That’s interesting. I wonder if you’re an auditory learner? I’m a kinesthetic learner, so it permeates me best when I read it and then think about it and write about it in my journal. I haven’t listened to any of John Piper’s sermons. Will have to try them!