Stepping Stones: Half-Minded Living

Transformational Tip
No one has to remind you of the high cost of anxiety. Anxiety, worrying, causes or worsens many diseases, affecting every body system…high blood pressure, heart trouble, blindness, migraine headaches, strokes, thyroid malfunctions, hormone imbalances, asthma, psoriasis, autoimmune disorders, infections, a host of stomach disorders, addictions, depression, anxiety disorders, and even cancer.

Remember, fear and anxiety, being concerned, can be normal responses from your warning system letting you know when potential danger or something wrong is happening. Worry is excessive anxiety/fear in a situation…or anxiety/fear when no reason. We worry when we get deceived, when False Evidence Appears Real(FEAR), and when we stop trusting the promises, character, and instruction of God.

Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (“to divide”) and nous (“the mind”). We are divided between the truth and deception…between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems…part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on what might happen tomorrow. The result is half-minded living.

Today, remember that worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease. Examine what you are worried about and identify false evidence you are believing and insert God’s character, promises, and instruction. Your worries will melt when you trust with your whole mind, not just half of it.
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Prayer
Dear Father God, I know that worrying is futile and accomplishes nothing…but I still worry. Help me, Father, to stop my worrying and to focus my energy “whole-mindedly” on You. I ask for strength for discipline to be in Your word, learning Your instruction, and experiencing Your character and promises, so I can flush out the deceptions that fuel my worrying. I pray in the name of the one who died for my biggest fear, eternal condemnation, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children said - AMEN!

The Truth
You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
Matthew 6:27
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.”
Luke 12:22
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:6-10