Ralph: Do you feel like worry and anxiety are stealing your joy?
And holding you back from the abundant life God has planned for you.
Stay tuned because today we're going to dive into the Bible's wisdom on how to stop worrying, and start truly living a prosperous life.
Welcome to our spiritual Sunday show.
I am so glad you chose to join us.
I just want to thank you for being a listener and supporting our program.
I can feel how the program is growing and it's because of you to listener that that's happening.
I'm coming to you today from the Estep Farm and the Saggio Accounting studio.
So let me put on my podcaster hat and put down those overalls and put that adding machine on the side and let's get some financial wisdom.
From a Christian perspective, as you know, today's our Sunday show today's topic is what I think every single one of us can relate to.
And that is worry.
Whether it's stress about money.
Our relationships, our health.
Or an uncertain future.
Worry can feel like a heavyweight that keeps us stuck.
And robs us of peace,
But here's the good news.
God never intended us to live in a state of constant worry and fear.
In fact, the Bible is full of wisdom and encouragement for those who want to break free from the cycle of anxiety.
That's what we're going to talk about today.
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You do that at askralphpodcast.com . So you don't miss tomorrow's show tomorrow.
We're gonna be talking about how to steward your Benjamins.
It's kind of a hip term, but we're going to talk about how to steward those Benjamins.
I want to start by sharing one of my favorite verses on this topic.
In Matthew chapter six, verses 25 to 27.
Jesus says this.
Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life.
What you will eat or drink or about your body.
What you will wear is not life more than food and the body more than clothes.
Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns.
And yet your heavenly father feeds them.
Are you not more valuable than they can, any one of you by worrying at a single hour to your life?
I think that's a good way to start today's episode.
What a powerful reminder of what God has for us.
Jesus is telling us that God deeply cares for us.
And he'll provide for all of our needs just as he does the birds of the air.
and he points at the futility of worry.
No amount of stressing or fretting can add a single hour to our lives.
In fact, and this is the truth.
Worrying actually steals from us.
It robs us of the present moment and the joy and purpose God has for us right at this moment.
But I get it.
Letting go of worry is easier, said than done.
This is something I battle with.
So let's get practical for a minute.
Here are five actionable steps you can take starting today.
To begin to break free from the grip of anxiety.
And the first one is this.
Give your worries to God.
A few weeks back.
I did an episode about giving it all to God.
First Peter chapter five verse seven tells us to cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for us.
You've got to take time each day to honestly express your fears and concerns to God.
And you do that in prayer.
Picture yourself physically handing your worries over to him.
A lot of times, I'll say I just leave these at the bottom of the cross Lord.
Number two.
You got to meditate on God's promises.
The Bible is full of reminders of God's faithfulness.
His provision for us and his love for us when worry starts to creep in combat it with truth.
Well, how can you do that?
Ralph?
That might be a good question.
Well, here's how you do it.
Find verses that speak to your specific concerns and commit them to memory.
Speak them out loud.
Let God's promises be louder than your fears.
Another thing you can do is number three, practice gratitude.
I talk about this quite a bit.
It's so easy to get fixated on what we lack or what could go wrong.
But gratitude is a powerful antidote to worry.
Start and end each day by listing a few things.
You're thankful for whether they be big things or small things.
This gratitude will shift our perspective.
And remind us of God's blessing in our lives.
And number four.
Take action on those things that you can control.
There are things that you can control.
Worry often comes from a place of feeling helpless or out of control.
While we can't control everything.
And trust me, I've learned this.
We can almost always take some small proactive step.
For example, if you're worried about money, create a budget.
Or start researching ways to increase your income.
If you're concerned about your health schedule, that checkup you've been putting off.
Taking action.
Even small steps can greatly ease anxiety.
And number five.
Surround yourself with truth tellers.
You might ask Ralph, what are truth tellers?
We all need people in our lives who will point us back to God's promises and provisions when we're struggling.
Seek out friends.
Family members or a church community who will pray for you and remind you of what's true.
When your worry threatens to overwhelm you.
And be that kind of friend to others too.
If you're looking for somebody to support you, support them as well.
As we begin to put these things into practice and make them a regular part of our lives.
I truly believe we'll start to see a shift.
We'll find ourselves worrying less and trusting God more.
We'll start to experience the peace that passes all understanding.
That's what Paul talks about in Philippians chapter four, verse seven.
And here's the thing.
As we learn to release worry.
And lean into God.
We free up so much mental and emotional energy to start really living.
To dream big.
To love deeply.
To give generously.
To pursue the passions and purpose that God has placed inside of us.
If we're constantly in worry, we are never going to be able to do those things.
We're not going to be able to dream big.
We're not going to be able to love deeply.
We're not going to be able to give generously or to pursue the passions and purpose that God has placed inside of us.
Friend.
That's what I want for you.
Not a life constrained by fear and worry.
But a life of freedom.
A life of joy and a life of purpose.
In Christ.
Now, before we wrap up today, I want to lead us in a prayer.
God, we confess that worry often feels like our default mode.
We get so easily tangled up in fears about the future.
Anxiety about our lack and stress over things.
We really can't control.
But you've called us to a different way of living.
A, life marked by trust.
Gratitude.
And unshakable peace.
Today, we cast all our cares and worries on you.
Knowing that you care for us deeply.
Remind us of your constant presence, your faithful provision.
And your great love.
Give us the wisdom and courage to take action where we can.
And the strength to release what we can't control into your capable hands.
May we embrace the abundant life you came to give us.
We pray all of this in the precious name of Jesus.
Amen.
Now, before we wrap up, I want to remind all of our listeners to visit our podcast page.
You do that at askralphpodcast.com . There you can leave a review, share your thoughts, or even send us a message with questions for future episodes.
As I mentioned the last few days, we are looking to build our calendar with new topics.
And if you have one, please send that over to me.
And while you're at the website, make sure you join our email list so we can send you our daily email with what's going on on the show or any tidbits that we have to share while you're there.
You can also schedule a consultation with me to discuss your specific circumstances.
And here's one thing I'd like you to do.
If, you know, someone who needs encouragement and the truth is we all need to be encouraged.
Please share this episode and share this program with them.
My goal, my mission field is to reach people.
And help them in their life.
And if you know somebody that could be touched by this, I ask you to simply share this episode with them.
As we end our time together.
Remember this.
God never intended for worry and anxiety to dominate our lives.
He called us to live a life of peace.
A life of purpose and to trust in him.
As we give our worries to God meditate on his promises, practice, that gratitude.
We talked about.
Take wise action and always surround yourself with truth tellers.
We can begin to break free from the cycle and fear and start really living.
Once we do these things.
If you found today's episode helpful, I'd love for you to share it with a friend who needs some encouragement and letting go of worry.
And if you're looking for more practical wisdom on managing money and aligning your finances with your faith, be sure to check out our website again.
That's at askralphpodcast.com . We've got a wealth of resources past episodes and even opportunities for you.
Submit your own financial questions.
Well, thanks for joining me today.
Remember, God is bigger than your worries.
And he has great plans in store for you.
Stay financially savvy folks, keep pursuing a life of purpose and may God bless you on this Sunday.