Willpower Has No Effect on Worry

Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about anxiety and how we may seek to reduce its impact on our lives. Today, I want to encourage you that winning the anxiety war is a natural outgrowth of pursuing God’s Kingdom above all else, not by your strength and determination. You will have a more serene existence if you prioritize Him in your life. When it comes to trying not to worry, willpower doesn’t work, and here is where many Christians become discouraged. Even if I tell you not to think of a purple elephant dressed in a tutu and wearing a sombrero, I guarantee you will. Why? Because even the notion of something causes your mind to conjure up an image. Trying not to worry only makes you worry more; the more you think about it, the more it absorbs you.

Friend, this is the wonder of salvation. If Christ is in you, you are far more powerful than you realize! When you accept Him, you are given something that has unfathomable power. You have a source of strength that has nothing to do with your effort and everything to do with Him as His Holy Spirit takes up residence within you. This is why Jesus invites you to seek Him first, promising to take care of everything else. The word “therefore” at the start of Matthew 6:34 serves as a reminder that not worrying about tomorrow is a direct outcome of prioritizing Him in your life. Even a multiplicity of problems will be overpowered by an unwavering faith in His sufficiency as you focus on the priorities of His Kingdom! Isn’t it wonderful news?