How to Laugh at the Future (& Worry Less!)

The Proverbs 31 Woman. We’ve all heard about her. We all want to be just like her. And why not? She’s pretty perfect. She works hard, takes excellent care of her family, helps the poor, and gives wise advice.

I want to be just like her. But there’s one attribute of hers that I struggle with the most- her ability to laugh at the future.

When I think of the future I often lean a bit more toward worry and a little less toward confident laughter.

My husband could tell you better than anyone that I struggle with worry. I’m the queen of “what ifs”. When God was working on playing matchmaker for me He knew that I would need my husband to help balance me out in this department.

When I start down my path of “what ifs” I try to stop and remind myself of these 5 important truths.

1. My God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10)-

God is more than able to provide all I need.

2. God knows what I need (Matthew 6:31-33)-

God is not only capable of providing for me but He also knows exactly what to provide.

3. Seek after God & God will provide the things (Matthew 6:33)-

Focusing on God and living my life for Him helps take my mind off of things that tend to trouble me.

4. Prayer brings peace (Philipians 4:6-7)-

Sometimes just talking about something troubling can be the biggest relief, especially when we know the person we are talking to cares. And God cares more than we can even imagine.

5. Counting my blessings reminds me of what God has done (Psalm 103:1-10)-

When I read the Bible I’m often tempted to think some of the people in the accounts are stupid for forgetting what amazing things God had already done for them. But then I remember that I can be fairly forgetful too. Looking back at my life and reminding myself of prayers answered and focusing on the blessings reminds me of how God has provided in the past and how He will provide in the future.

I’m sure that for some of you “Count Your Blessings” brings to mind the traditional hymn. For me it always reminds me of a song from White Christmas, one of my favorite Christmas movies ever.

“If you’re worried and you cant sleep,
just count your blessings instead of sheep
and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.”

I find that often worry begins to creep up on me when we lay down to go to sleep at night. It’s quiet and the busyness of the day can’t crowd the worry out any more. And so I love that urging to focus on your blessings instead of the things worrying you.

Do you struggle with worrying? How do you handle it? I’d love to hear from you.

For more on the Proverbs 31 woman check out the resources at Women Living Well.

Cat

Cat is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom of two boys. She shares crafts, DIY projects, kids’ activities, and a little bit about life in Ohio. Learn more about her and the blog on the About page.