How to stop fretting {Really!}
Don’t know how it’s possible, but IÂ can wake up anxious. Life looms large and uncertainty nags. Noise, news, naysayers…it’s all there to knot the stomach.
But there’s this one little verse I go to as an escape route. It’s my exit ramp from the fret cycle. This one little verse can do *all that* for me: It can prompt faith, calm and childlike trust in my heart.
It can help me stop acting so grown-up responsible, like the world depends on me to be a savior or something, like I *need* to fret and my kids need me to worry and be their redeemer from all things evil.
It helps me become the child and simply trust a good Father.
An Invitation for Lent?
Grow in trust and intimacy with God with the Trust Without Borders 40 day devotional. This story-driven book will draw you in and take you deeper in your walk with Christ. Grab your copy and begin your own 40 day journey today…
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
Sometimes you need to dig a little bit to mine treasures. So let’s mine this verse and see how it can help us stop fretting.  Let’s take it phrase by phrase:
“Fear Not”
Were there any greater words spoken from the God of all creation, who sees all and knows all, to sinful fallen man?
To me?
From the God who knows the depth of my depravity, who sees my failures and insecurities, who understands ISIS and cancer and where this broken, scary world is headed, who knows where my kids will be in 20 years, who knows how we’ll pay bills …He is the One who says to me: “Fear not.”
“Little Flock”
After “fear not” comes this term of endearment. Little flock.
In it, He acknowledges my smallness. “Little” isn’t a problem for Him. I don’t have to be super- spiritual- woman. I don’t have to figure everything out. He knows how incapable and insignificant, how small, I am… and He can handle it.
Then He says “flock” because He wants to remind me that He’s the Shepherd. The Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His friends. He will never, ever leave me hanging. Ever. He sees me as one of His little sheep, purchased and paid for forever.
“Your Father”
Not only is He my good Shepherd who will never abandon His own, He is my Father. Close, committed, affectionate, dependable, and able.
Mine that one for a bit.
“Good Pleasure”
The thing that delights my Father is not that which benefits Him, but me.  He enjoys giving. Freely and at great personal cost. It delights Him not to receive but to give, not to need but to meet mine. Not to have His feet washed but to wash ours.
“To Give”
Generous, He is. And lavish. He doesn’t sell lots in the Kingdom, He gives it all away.
“The Kingdom”
If there were anything worth having, it’d be the royal Kingdom~ the one that belongs to the King of Kings. All things righteous, holy, noble and good are the very things He’s delighted to generously give to His little flock.
Wow.
Now that’s how to defeat fear.
This new day you’re facing? You can face it without fret because Your King and Shepherd is your Father and He is good. He withholds no good thing from those who seek Him. He delights to give you the Kingdom.
So stop fretting and start trusting. How about it?
Grab the Trust Without Borders 40 day devotional here.Â
I realized this year that my view of Lent has been skewed. In the past my focus has just been on giving something up (sugar, chocolate, Facebook) and getting through the 40 days without it. It wasn’t till Monday that I understood that it was about being obedient to God, not about finding some random thing in my life to forego for 40 days. Here is what I wrote about what I’m learning from Lent this year. http://fearfultofearlessblog.com/learning-from-lent/
Thanks for sharing Heather!
This is so good. I’ve been reading your book, Trust Without Borders, and I’m finding it to be full of so much wisdom. I will think of fasting from fear as I go thought Lent this season.
How encouraging Dawn! Thanks for taking the time to comment :)
I am encouraged. Excellent line: “It can prompt faith and calm and childlike trust in my heart.” Luke 12:32 is new for me, in this context. Thanks for bringing it into my life, as a resource for taking thoughts captive and submitting them to this truth!
For Lent I’m on on a boundary kick, setting up healthy boundaries with relationships and activities, in order to prioritize what I am called to do. For example, not allowing myself to be overly concerned for a distant relative’s issues who just happened to post something on Facebook, rather, adding them to a prayer list and moving on with my day as I am called to. A common issue for me is to be overly concerned for things outside of my control such as that. You’re right, who am I, the Savior for these people or something? lol. Thanks for the post.
Thank you for taking us through each part of this verse. What a great message to soak deeply into our hearts and minds! I’m convinced we have to approach God as children to fully grasp and enjoy all that He lavishes upon us.
What a great thing to give up for Lent – worry and fret. I’ve come to love Lent as a time to grow close to God; to use this time of giving up to focus more on God and build new habits of faith.
I love how you broke this verse down phrase by phrase, friend! I’m nearly finished with your book, Trust Without Borders, and I’m a little sad about that. It’s been such an eye-opener to the little ways in which I fail to trust my Father God. Yes, I want to fast from fear and fret! Thanks for sharing over at Grace and Truth.
Jen :)
You have given such excellent advice in this article. I am a “fretter”, I think it’s genetic in our family LOL I have had to learn to stop myself from the constant burden of worrying about everything. It is something we should all learn.
Holy crap, yes. Just yes to this and a big fat thank you to you for sharing it!
I love how you’ve taken this scripture and piece by piece, bit by bit, shown how God’s wonderful love shines through.
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Thank you for being my new “go to” for inspiration during the day. Thank you also for breaking this verse down into bite size chunks for me to marinate in and use to steady my breathing. What a wonderful article. Hush now worry and fret, take a nap. Mommy has things to do. Glory be to God!!!
Thats amazing! Somehow I never crossed that verse! I mean I’ve read the bible many times but this verse?! wow. Thank you!
Mine is to “cast all anxieties onto Him”, so when I get any worry or any anxious thought, I have to literally coach my soul to “cast” that anxiety onto Him and say “Father, I give it to You, you take it. I don’t want it!” and then I can rest in His peace. What an amazing Father we have.