Don’t Worry, Be Happy is a phrase that even children know and sing about. It is one of those phrases that we use when we are trying to encourage others to not get buried in their circumstances. Years ago, I read a book about worry and the thing that has stuck with me all these years is one thought:
‘If you can’t do anything about your problem, stop worrying and let God deal with it.’ This advice has gotten me out of some deep worry wells over the years. ( I am paraphrasing the author’s words 🙂 )
So, what are some of the things we shouldn’t worry about? Maybe we worry about our finances, or something that is happening with our children, our health, or someone’s particular behavior and how it affects us. Any of these things can get our mind working overtime. We can obsess about them and allow them to put a cloud over our happiness.
Of course, we all know that worry is not good for us, that it isn’t healthy for us, and that the Lord would rather that we didn’t do it. But, the reality is that we do worry and it does make us unhappy.
To remind us all, including me, of how to get out of a worry well, here are a few excerpts from some great chapters on worry, just in case anyone is in the midst of a worry wart moment. If you have some free time, dig into each chapter and you will find even more worry killer nuggets!
Be Happy!
Psalm 146:5 ** Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: **
So easy to forget! We are NOT alone! Just knowing that God is with us should help us to be happy! I don’t know about you, but the moment I start to worry about anything, I forget that God is on my side fighting for me and my problems. My job is to reconnect with Him, the source of my solutions.
Ouch!
Psalm 34:8 ** O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. **
This is a great reminder to TRUST God and stop trying to figure things out for ourselves, right? It also reminds us that God is GOOD. Whatever is causing us to worry, the Lord means it for good, but we are turning it into a problem, something bad. We can all work a little harder at trusting in His goodness. 🙂
Excellent advice!
Thessalonians 5:16-18 ** Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. **
Be happy, no matter what! Keep praying! Be thankful! Quick, simple, easy! It would be great to learn to not complicate things so much, wouldn’t it?
WOW!
Isaiah 24:14,15 ** They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. **
Sing it !! Cry out!! Praise God until it hurts! Do all this in the MIDDLE of our problems! Doing all of this should knock the worries right out of us, right?? If you have time, go now to read Isaiah 24, your problems will seem like nothing after reading it!
GO BACK and Be Happy!
Acts 8:39 ** And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. **
Remember the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Did it change your world? Did it give you hope? Did it fill you with joy? No matter what is happening on your worry days, aren’t they better than the days before you met Jesus?
UNBEATABLE!
Romans 8:39 ** For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. **
No matter what is happening, the Lord is right there with us. He will never, ever, ever leave us! Never ever!! On our worse days, our deepest pit of days, He is right there holding our hand and loving us and pushing evil back out of our sight!
LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE and Be Happy!
Romans 5:3-5 ** And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. **
Our troubles put us right in the middle of the Lord’s transforming power in us. He is molding us. He is constructing a more patient spirit in us. He is giving us experience so we can help others. He is growing our hope for eternity and all the happiness that is waiting for us. We are becoming bolder in our faith and our testimony. And we are learning how to love like He loves. Our problems are truly good for us!
This is not the end of the list. There are so many more chapters and verses in the Bible that can help us to remember “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” . But we have some of the highlights that will help us get back on track: Remember that the Lord is always with you, no matter what problems you are facing today. Remember that you are His child today and forever and all that He is allowing in your life is for your good and is a part of His work in you.
Where do you run to when worry is drowning you? Share it with us so we can all Be Happy again!