Did you know that 'worry-warts' usually have a higher than average IQ? But they also tend to have a bad case of the "what ifs." "What if I wreck the car... or get sick... or lose my job... or don't measure up to the challenge?" Now, most of this stuff never actually happens, but the fear of it overwhelms them and prevents them from living life now.

 

Chronic worry will steal your joy because worry is just fear that's unpacked its bags, signed a long-term lease and moved in. You can't be joyful and fearful at the same time; they're fundamentally incompatible.

 

How you act - reveals what you believe! By living in fear you're demonstrating that you don't trust God enough! Furthermore, when you serve God out of fear instead of gratitude, you end up feeling like a martyr, envying and resenting those who are living in joy. Jesus said, "I say these things... that [you] may have the full measure of my joy within [you]." Notice, He didn't pray that you'd be happy and escape trouble. No, He prayed that you'd have the same joy He had. "What kind's that?" you ask. A joy firmly grounded in your relationship with Him. A joy that's not subject to negative emotions within, or adverse conditions without.

 

The Psalmist said: "Be glad in the Lord, and... shout for joy" (Ps 32:11). 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!