Give Your Worries to the God Who Gives So Much More - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 23

Give Your Worries to the God Who Gives So Much More
By Keri Eichberger

Bible Reading:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20) 

I was once quite the worrier. I’m not sure exactly what the trigger was. But it likely began during my youth as life started to get more real. As I slowly lost the innocent beliefs that everyone is nice, parents always stay married, only old people die, and you don’t get in trouble unless you’re actually guilty. And one life disappointment at a time, I observed mean kids making fun, moms and dads splitting up, classmates getting in fatal car crashes, and people getting punished for things they didn’t do. Hurt happened, heartbreaks began to haunt me, until, without notice, I began living in such a way to protect myself from any pain. Worry was brewing, and I hardly noticed. 

And sadly, as the years progressed through my teens and early adulthood, so did my life experience. And so did my reality that there was more wrong in the world than my younger years could fathom. And so did the worry. 

Have you seen worry develop in your life? Have you ever considered yourself a worrier? Or maybe your worry is masked as a tendency to control too much sometimes? Or it might look like becoming consumed with a decision, an upcoming situation or event, or just the unknowns of the future? Or maybe you’ve been an avoider of something or someone, an over-thinker, over-analyzer, or just wondered “what if” too many times. All of this, believe it or not, has worry wrapped all around it. 

The truth is, we all worry. Even the strongest Christians. But what’s also true: no one wants to worry. The effects of it are awful and are the exact opposite of what we long for most in this life, like peace, joy, and, did I say peace? So how do we stop worrying and find the peace of God we want to hold on to and not let go of? How do we release the unease we feel in our circumstances, the unsettled sense of the undone to-dos, the uncertainty of every decision concerning our families, finances, jobs, and all the unknowns of our futures? How do we release the worry that keeps returning?

Regardless of my growing faith, I still struggle with worry. And with the ebbs and flows of life, this is likely you, too. So, to stand strong against the lying enemy of fear—which is no doubt at the root of every worry—I’ve learned the necessity of arming ourselves with the sword of the spirit—the Word of God. And I’ve learned the value of pouring over and over God’s truths. 

For the longest time, one of my favorite verses has been Ephesians 3:20. I’ve always cherished the truth that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. I’m sure we all do—it’s gloriously wonderful. And yes, God can do more than all we ask or imagine, and yes, we do want him to do just that on our behalf. However, how do we know he wants to? Maybe we can get on board with trusting he can, but how do we know he will? What if he doesn’t want to do something greater than I can imagine in my case? Have you ever wondered this, as I have?

Well, I made a beautiful observation that opened my eyes to the truth of this contemplation. I found it in the preceding verses of Ephesians 3:17-19, which say, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. What I was reading in these verses was how much God loves us. And then, I dove directly into the truth of how much he’s capable of. And these familiar verses swallowed me in the most comforting way. God wants to, and God can. God wants to give us so much because of his boundless love for us. And God can, because of his infinite power in and around us. And once we understand this, in terms of our worry, it should change everything. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What we need to do is trust and believe that God loves us and that God is able. Because it’s true. And we need to trust that with our whole hearts. Just imagine for a minute. If you believed with all that you are that God loves you, and that God, not you, in his sovereign power, is able to do so much more than all you could ask or imagine. If you truly believed this, what in the world would you have to worry about?  

If you truly trusted this, what would you let go of? The fears, the anxiety, the control, the stress. Imagine the peace. And what would you do? Where might you feel free to go? Imagine the joy. Imagine a life with less worry. Imagine a life where you believed and rested deeply in the truth that you are a child of a good, good God. Who will always adore you, help you, care for you, and forever bless you. This is who God is; this is what God does. So you can give all your worries to him. Our good God who will give you so much more than you can possibly imagine.

If you liked what you read, I think you will love my latest book, Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes. You can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I hope it blesses you!

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Anastasiia Korotkova 

Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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