1 Worries, worries, worries…

Worries… Martin Luther really said this, or wrote it. In his final letter to his wife, written just a few days before he died, Luther wrote these words to his beloved Katie. This excerpt of his loving, but also teasingly playful, letter:

Thank you very kindly for your great worry which robs you of sleep. Since the date that you [started to] worry about me, the fire in my quarters, right outside the door of my room, tried to devour me; and yesterday, no doubt because of the strength of your worries, a stone almost fell on my head and nearly squashed me as in a mouse trap. For in our secret chamber [the toilet], mortar has been falling down for about two days; we called in some people who [merely] touched the stone with two fingers and it fell down. The stone was as big as a long pillow and as wide as a large hand; it intended to repay you for your holy worries, had the dear angels not protected [me]. [Now] I worry that if you do not stop worrying the earth will finally swallow us up and all the elements will chase us. 

Is this the way you learned the Catechism and the faith? Pray, and let God worry. You have certainly not been commanded to worry about me or about yourself. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).”

Luther talks about being devoured, swallowed up in his wife’s worrying. Yet, he kindly reminds her of her faith and biblical teachings. He says: Pray, and let God worry. 

God’s word, God’s letter to us, tells us, in no uncertain terms, not to worry, but that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? 

You can literally make yourself sick. How to stop worry?

While I CAN’T stop all worrying, I CAN turn my worries into prayers. I can pray, and let God worry, as Luther put it.  

Worry is usually rooted in fear.

So, what we fear matters . . . because what I fear the most reveals where I trust God the least. 

I realized, the things that keep me awake at night were the things that I wasn’t trusting God to handle. I was holding onto them, trying to find a way to gain control over them, to solve all my problems. 

And in that restless place of worry, we can begin to look for and create unrealistic fears that FEEL very, very real. Our bodies don’t always line up with what our spirits know is true. 

Did you know: You can feel afraid and know God is in control. 

You can feel anxious and know God is good.

Sometimes I have to tell myself, “You are not what you feel.”

When you catch yourself worrying about something or someone, Turn your worries into prayer. I cast my burdens on the Lord, trusting God to care for the particular situation or person far better than I ever could.

Philippians 4:4-7 tells us: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Pray with us:

Heavenly Father, Even when we do not have control in life, we know the One who does. We trust You with each new day. Help me to see my fears. Help me see the ways I’m relying on my own efforts — instead of trusting You. Build my faith, and help me to rely on Your presence and support no matter what I face. I need you. I need Your power. I need Holy Spirit guiding me and your Word strengthening me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

May you find peace in Christ in the midst of our worries.

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