Give your Worries to God

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NLT

In an article titled, “Running to escape negative emotions can worsen your sense of well-being. Here’s how to reshape your relationship to exercise” published by FORTUNE this week, the writer Alexa Mitchell asked the question, “How often has someone told you they craved a jog to clear their head after a long day?” She then went on to explain: I certainly run to combat stress, and there’s a reason many of us tie up our sneakers, blast music, and work up a sweat as our heart rate soars. When running, the body releases endorphins which reduce stress and can lead to that “runner’s high,” or the joyful post-exercise state that improves mood. Over time, running can also bolster focus and memory, and studies trumpet exercise as a protection against physical and mental illness and the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia. But a new study published Wednesday in Frontiers in Psychology explores how using running to get "lost" and suppress negative emotions can lead to exercise dependence and a diminished sense of overall well-being.

And you know, when it comes to depending on something to help us overcome our negative emotions, you and I would do well to remember that we can never outrun our problems no matter how hard we try (and believe me I’ve tried really hard). We might be able to suppress them for a while but ultimately our problems will come back and the vicious cycle of trying to use running or anything else to absolve ourselves of them will fail. Which is the very reason you and I should give all our “worries and cares” to God. Not only does He care about us enough to send His one and only Son to die for us, but He alone has the strength to carry all our burdens and the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to help us work through them in the way that’s best for our good and His glory. 

So resist the urge to run from your problems my friend. Trust me when I say that there’s not a person in this world who can run long enough or far enough to escape the cares, concerns, and worries of this world. Instead give them ALL to the One who cares for you and rest in the assurance that He has all the answers. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God who genuinely cares about us. Cause us to remember that we were never meant to carry the worries and concerns of the world and become ineffective witnesses when we do. Help us to turn to You with all of our problems Lord that we might receive comfort and counsel from You. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!