Being a Warrior, not a Worrier

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)
 

Growing up, I had very few worries. I was always that happy, go-lucky kid who just wanted to have fun and enjoy life with friends and family. My mom even told me of a time in a store parking lot, where I was walking and flailing my arms around without a care in the world. Before she could stop me, I went up to a random man and wished him a happy birthday. I had no idea if it was the man’s birthday, but that didn’t stop me. 

That was who I was.

Somewhere along the way, my cheerful, carefree life changed. Entering into middle school was most likely the most traumatic experience of my young life at the time. My easygoing mind soon filled up with worries and anxiety. It was a new school, new people, I had a schedule and a locker. All of this change whirled around my mind like snow in a snow globe. I now cared about what others thought of me and quickly realized that most of the kids in school were not like me. My self-confidence dropped dramatically and loneliness made its settlement in my heart. I remember crying through the first two weeks. I would beg my mom and dad to let me stay home, which was something I had never done in elementary school.

Obliviously, I survived middle school, but from that moment on, my life was never the same. Worries and cares constantly bogged down my mind. Fear was my new friend that I couldn’t get rid of. Even when people would encourage me, it would only last for so long before fear crept back in again. I worried about doing well in school and college, what other’s thought of me, my health, being safe while driving, what the future would hold... the list could go on. My life was full of fear, instead of faith.

As life went on, God slowly spoke to me through various occasions and people. A few years back I was in a doctor’s office when a nasty blizzard started. Within 20 minutes, roads became covered in thick, wet snow and turned them into hazardous death traps. Fear gripped my mind. I already had a fear of driving, so adding snow into the mix was just plain terrifying. I expressed my concern to an older woman who worked there, but she immediately responded with, “Sarah, God will never leave you, nor forsake you. He’s always with you.”

Her words shocked me as they came from her mouth. I was not expecting this little old lady to start quoting scripture to me. At the same time, I felt comforted and reassured that I would be ok. As I left the doctor’s office, I gripped the steering wheel and slowly drove down the snow-covered roads with a little more confidence than I had before. Later on that week, I saw a Facebook post that stated, “God called us to be warriors, not worriers.” That was when I realized: ever since middle school, I was the worrier, when God was calling me to be the warrior!

God continued to drop more hints into my life and was nudging me to keep on trusting Him instead of having fear rule over me.

Let me share one more God moment with you. Before I started my career as a teacher, I was just another Target employee, cleaning, stocking, and waiting for my shift to end in the home decor department. Target always had cute signs and wall art, and I enjoyed looking at the signs because they were either witty or very inspirational. As I walked down the main aisle, I spotted a sign on an endcap. The sign read, “What is meant to be, has already begun.”

The sign immediately struck a chord in my heart. I knew I was the person who always worried about missing out on the important things. I was always scared that I would miss the things that God was going to do in my life.

Through that sign, He was speaking to me and saying that He already started every good work in my life and that all I had to do was trust Him. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV) That sign gave me such comfort in knowing that God had it all under control. He was writing my story and was going open doors that needed to be opened when I got to them. All I had to do was trust in Him and follow His lead; everything else would fall into place.

Maybe you are feeling more like a worrier than warrior today. That’s okay. God will take you as you are and mold you into the warrior that you are meant to be. The first step is to give your worries to God. Worry does not have any value or benefit. It can only damage you more. Having faith in God will strengthen your spirit and body. Take comfort in knowing that God already has your life in His hands. He watches over your comings and your goings. God has your name inscribed on the palms of His hands. He won’t forget about you.

Whenever you feel worried or anxious, do what I do. Look out the window. Chances are you will see one of my favorite birds, which is the sparrow. These cute little birds often go unnoticed by many; however, God takes notice of them. He watches over them and feeds them. If God can take care of these small birds, can He not take care of you and me?

Next time you are feeling anxious or worried, look around you. More likely than not, God is dropping hints through everyday people and events to encourage you that He has everything under control. 

C'mon, friend. It’s more than time to rise up and be a warrior.