Chapter 23
I AM Removing Every Trace of Worry
The English word for "worry" comes from an old German word meaning to strangle, or choke. That is exactly the way worry works. It actually brings about mental and emotional strangulation.
Mark 4:19 says, "…and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." Here Jesus named two things that will choke the Word from working in our hearts and producing fruit: worry and greed. Jesus knew that worry is natural to us, but He could see the long-range effects and He commanded us not to worry.
In St. Thomas, there is a parasite that grows on trees and bushes called "golden thread." It looks like yellow spaghetti, and it spreads over the entire tree, eventually choking the tree or bush to death. The only way to get rid of the parasite is to completely remove it. The people who live there often need to chop all the top branches off a tree, carefully gather all the pieces from the ground, and carry every branch away immediately. In addition, this parasite is carried from one tree to the next in the air. If just one person has this parasite on his trees and does not chop it off right away, then the neighbors all around will not be able prevent the parasite from spreading to the trees and plants in their own yards as well.
I think this is a valid picture of the way worry works. It will slowly choke our joy in life, choke our ability to serve the Lord, and may eventually en paralyze our ability to function properly in life. In addition, if you hang out with worriers - people who complain, worry, and always predict the worst, negative thinking will creep into your thinking as well.
Starting today, yank that worry right out of your mind. Be consistent and persistent in carefully removing every trace of it. Replace worry with something better - trust in God. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
And take note of the conversation among your friends. Are they positive and upbeat? If not ... well, you know what I recommend.
Continue to Chapter 23: Questions
