I Thought Worrying Meant I Cared. It Was Actually Stealing My Life.

Cindy Warner
Dec 19, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jan 12

I used to believe worry was love.

If I wasn't anxious about my kids, my husband, the ministry—did that mean I didn't care enough?

For years, I carried worry like a badge of honor. Until I discovered it wasn't love at all. It was fear wearing a mask.

But all it ever did was steal my sleep, my joy, and my patience with the people I love most.

If you've ever stayed up at night running through "what ifs," you know just how heavy that weight can feel.

The Lie I Believed

The enemy had me convinced that a good mom worries. A good wife stays vigilant. A responsible person prepares for every possible disaster.

So I did.

Night after night, I rehearsed worst-case scenarios in my mind, thinking somehow that bracing for impact would soften the blow.

It never did.

All it accomplished was exhausting me and keeping me from enjoying the good moments God was giving me right now.

The Truth That Set Me Free

Here's what finally broke through: God never meant for us to carry that weight.

Jesus looked straight at His worried friends and said,

"Don't worry about tomorrow… Look at the birds—they don't sow or reap, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26, 34)

Think about that. The same God who keeps track of every sparrow knows exactly what you're facing tomorrow. And He's not pacing heaven, wringing His hands, wondering how it's all going to work out.

He's got this.

Honestly?

Stressing out doesn't add a single hour to our lives or solve a single problem. But it does steal our peace and cloud our ability to hear His voice.

Because worry is really just fear wearing a mask.

The enemy whispers that God might not come through this time. That this situation is too big, too complicated, too overwhelming—even for Him.

That's the lie behind every racing thought at 2 a.m.

God's Answer to Our Fear

But Scripture promises the opposite:

"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)

Read that again. A sound mind. Not a mind that spins in circles. Not a mind trapped in catastrophic thinking. A sound, stable, peaceful mind.

That's what He offers us.

The Simple Exchange

So what do we do when the next wave of worry hits?

I've learned a simple exchange that has transformed my nights (and my days):

Name the worry out loud
Don't let it swirl around in the shadows. Bring it into the light. "Lord, I'm worried about my son. I'm afraid this bill won't get paid. I'm anxious about that doctor's appointment."

Hand it to Jesus in prayer—with thanksgiving. This is key. Don't just dump the worry and run. Pair it with gratitude for all the times He's already carried you through. "Thank You that You've been faithful before. Thank You that You see what I can't. Thank You that You love my child even more than I do."

Choose praise instead of panic. Turn on a worship song. Quote Scripture out loud. Speak truth over the fear. Shift from the problem to the Problem-Solver.
Philippians 4:6-7 promises that when we do this—when we bring our requests to God with thanksgiving—His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will stand guard over our hearts and minds.

That peace isn't something we manufacture. It's something He gives. A gift. A guard. A covering.