Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

This verse is so powerful and so appropriate for our week dedicated to surrendering control of our lives to the Lord that I don’t want to be excessively wordy. Let me just say that I struggle with the idea of being still and “wasting time” with God. If it was up to me, I’d not only choose the way I pray and the words I use, but I would control God’s response as well.

At some point, I need to stop trying to control every area of my life, including the way I pray, and surrender to God. I am working on that today. It begins with being still and recognizing that God is God and I am not. I hope you’ll join me.

Let not your heart be troubled!

~Gary

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

I’m a planner and I like it when everything works out according to my plans. Maybe it’s my background as a software developer or maybe it’s just my desire to be in control, but I like my life to unfold the way I planned it. Fortunately, however, God loves me too much to let that happen.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

God is all powerful. He can do anything. In addition, he can prevent things from happening. You can rest assured that the events in your life have been approved by the Lord. He doesn’t will evil, of course, but he does allow it to happen. Whether we realize it or not, he is constantly directing our steps. We can “hear” his voice through the daily circumstances of life. Although it can be very challenging, learning to listen to him in this manner can be very beneficial.

I pray that my thick head will one day understand that my all-powerful and all-loving Heavenly Father knows what’s best for me. Every time He says “no” or disrupts my carefully made plans, I have an opportunity to surrender to His will and acknowledge that He knows best.

Thank you for disrupting my plans, Father. I know you want what’s best for me. Sometimes I don’t know what that is. I surrender.

You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Those who trust in God will be at peace. It’s a simple concept but, as I write in the book, it’s not easy to put into practice.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

In order to be at peace, we must learn to trust God. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. And yet, the fact that trusting God is simple doesn’t necessarily mean it is easy. Trusting God can be a very difficult task. You will have to work at it. Not only can you learn to trust him—you must learn to trust him. Otherwise, you will never experience lasting peace in your life.

Trusting in God requires surrender. It often means choosing to act contrary to your feelings or desires. It is a conscious decision. If you examine the evidence that is presented in the Bible, however, He is absolutely worthy of our trust. And, as Isaiah reminds us, choosing to trust Him will result in perfect peace.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” (Matthew 17:7)

It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to give up worry, break free from a habitual sin or remain faithful to your prayer life, at some point you’re going to mess up and find yourself in the same place as Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

Now that you’ve been on this journey for several weeks, there is a good chance you have fallen by giving way to worry. If that’s the case, you are in the same place as Peter, James, and John—lying down and staring at the ground. If you continue to look downward, all you see is your failure. Doing this for any length of time could cause you to plunge into despair.

Today, Jesus comes to you and invites you to rise. He will help you to continue moving forward, but you have to surrender and accept His help. Doing so moves us closer to the goal of giving up worry.

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)

John the Baptist had the right idea. He understood the importance of surrendering to Jesus. We’re going to be working on that for the rest of this week. Today, let’s concentrate on surrendering our time to the Lord.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

In order to surrender your life (and your worrying) to Jesus, you first need to surrender your time to him. Are you willing to give Jesus some of your “me” time today? I suggest that you start with ten minutes. Don’t use family time or time that you are on the job. Instead, give him ten minutes from your social media, television, or radio time. Converse with him in prayer or spend time reading the Bible. You may even want to consider doing this for the remaining few weeks of this program. I guarantee it will be time well spent.

Giving up some of our “me” time can be challenging, but it will definitely pay off. As evidenced in the way He multiplied the loaves and the fish, Jesus can work wonders with the time you surrender to Him.

“Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)

I have never found it easy to give up control of my life, my family or my future. Yet, that’s exactly what Jesus asks me to do. He wants me to trust Him in the same way that He trusted the Father. He wants me to surrender my life to Him.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

If asked, many of us will insist that we have surrendered our lives to Christ, but our actions tell a different story. Jesus gives us the perfect example of someone who has truly surrendered to the will of God. Observing and imitating his actions is the best way to ensure that we are truly doing what God wants. It’s also the safest and surest way to find peace.

When we worry, we attempt to control the uncontrollable. In order to break free from worry, we have to learn to surrender to the One who is ultimately in control. All this week, we’ll work on surrendering our lives to the Lord.

“I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

This week has been all about shifting our focus from our problems to God. And, personally speaking, I’ve had to do it a lot this week. How about you? Some days are worse than others, but this is a fairly common occurrence for those of us who live in this imperfect world.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

Initially, it takes a great deal of effort to keep focused on the Lord, but it gets easier over time. I have found the Bible to be a great resource in helping me to shift my focus. We are not the only ones to struggle with this problem. It has been happening since the beginning of time. You may not realize it, but all three persons of the Trinity are with you right now. You may not be able to see them, but you can’t see the air that you’re breathing either!

Now that we’ve learned to recognize the Lord’s presence, the next logical step is to surrender control of our lives to Him. We’ll be working on that next week.

Let not your heart be troubled!

~Gary

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. (Psalm 42:1)

I spent many years searching for peace and happiness, never realizing that I was actually looking for God.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

What were you looking for when you decided to pick up this book? I would expect that “peace” would be the most popular answer. You may have worded it differently (desire to stop worrying, freedom from anxiety, etc.), but the overall goal is the same. Would you be surprised to learn that your desire for peace is actually a quest for something much larger? When we seek peace, we are in reality seeking God. It’s such a basic need that we often don’t realize it. As our relationship with the Lord grows, so does our peace.

Jesus walks with us every day, ready and willing to lead us to a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father. Not only He the only way to the Father, but He’s the only way to the peace we seek. That’s what Give Up Worry For Good is all about. I’m grateful to have you on the journey with me. The finish line is coming into view. Keep your eye on the prize. We’re almost there.

Let not your heart be troubled!

~Gary

Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Throughout the pages of the Bible, the Lord repeatedly urges us to have no fear. Why? The reason He gives is always the same – I am with you.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

For the Chosen People, Moses was like that older brother, guiding the Hebrews out of bondage and toward freedom. Just before they entered the Promised Land, the mantle of leadership passed from Moses to Joshua, who had the unenviable task of taking over for Moses. Talk about having big shoes to fill! After appointing Joshua to this important mission, the Lord assured the young leader that he would not be alone. That same promise is extended to each of us through this Bible verse. No matter what challenge we face in life, the Lord is standing next to us. Call on him every day. Tell him you’re afraid. Ask for his help. He is with you—and that is enough!

God is with you, He is all-powerful and He loves you. Make the decision to believe it today. Choose to believe it even if you don’t feel it. Keep trying. It gets easier. God is in control of your life. He wants to help you. It might not feel like it, but we really do have nothing to fear.

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” (John 6:27)

How do you seek relief when you’re feeling anxious? As I mentioned in the book, I have spent countless hours watching TV, pursuing wealth, collecting sports memorabilia, and consuming junk food and alcoholic beverages—in an attempt to escape from anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, these things did bring me some degree of relief – but it didn’t last.

Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…

The pursuit of material goods as a source of happiness is not a new problem. There was a reason that Jesus first spoke these words two thousand years ago. The desire for instant gratification and freedom from suffering is a result of our fallen human nature. But while it may not be a new problem in the twenty-first century, it is a bigger temptation than it has been at any point in history. We live in an extremely distracting and noisy world. Technology has made it possible to be bombarded with the same message wherever we go: the more things you have, the happier you will be.

Turning to Jesus and surrendering my life to Him is the only thing that has brought me lasting peace. That’s why I’ve dedicated the remainder of my life to sharing Him with others. I’m so glad you decided to take this journey with me. It’s really going to pay off BIG TIME.