Welcome to our next blog series! For the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the role of worry in our lives and the impact it has on living out our calling and purpose. If I wanted to keep things short, I could just say (or sing) “Don’t Worry” and we could all take the advice and be on our way, knowing just what to do to handle our worries perfectly. If only!
The phrase “easier said than done” exists for a reason, and our instructions not to worry about big or little life issues is a perfect example. In this series, we’ll talk about how to apply Jesus’ encouragement (no, it’s a command) not to worry to some of life’s most challenging moments – facing grief and loss, questioning identity, and finding purpose. We’ll prayerfully consider how to replace worry with wisdom, patience, and a stronger focus on God’s will for our lives.
In our society, the increasing attention on anxiety, fear, insecurity, and the like gets mixed reviews from me (controversial, I know). While there are improved services and resources available for those whose anxiety levels are an exceptional burden that require professional care, we’ve collectively zoomed in too far and made worry a part of everyone’s everyday lives.
There’s an abundance of research that tries to assess our worry levels, like the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. In my communication classes, we discuss Uncertainty Reduction Theory, which essentially posits that we wander the earth as sense-making creatures and don’t feel satisfied or comfortable until we’ve asked our questions and explored our contexts to, you know, reduce our uncertainty.
Clearly there’s a deep desire to diagnose or label our worried and anxious states. And you know what’s typically at the end of these assessments, quizzes, or questions? You’re told that you worry or feel anxious. Shocking. We can easily get sucked into focusing on the fact that we feel worried or anxious, rather than what we can do to proactively address it.
So, what if we played that game for a little bit? If we jumped into the desire to label and categorize, what would happen? Next week, we’ll do just that! (Games are fun, right?)
Comments