Worry pulls us away from God’s power, but worship draws us to Him. When you’re tempted to worry, choose to praise instead. As you worship in the midst of your fear, His presence will begin to change you!

>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: THE OTHER

DAY, I GOT A PHONE CALL, AND

THE VOICE ON THE OTHER END OF

THE PHONE SAID, “VICTORIA, I

GOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING,

BUT DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT

I’M GOING TO TELL YOU.”

WELL, AUTOMATICALLY, MY WORRY

WAS KICKED IN.

THAT WAS MY FIRST RESPONSE.

I THOUGHT, “OH, MY GOSH, WHAT

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT?”

YOU SEE, THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS

SOMETIMES.

OUR WORRY AUTOMATICALLY KICKS

IN WITHOUT US EVEN KNOWING

IT.

WE JUST WORRY WHEN A CONCERN

OR A CARE COMES INTO OUR

LIFE.

NOW, THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM

WAS NOT HUGE.

IT WASN’T MONUMENTAL, BUT IT

WAS A PROBLEM ALL THE SAME.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEEDED

TO BE RESOLVED.

SO I HAD TO PUSH PAUSE FOR A

MOMENT AND MAKE A DECISION.

WAS I GOING TO LET THIS

CONCERN OVERTAKE ME, CAUSE MY

MIND TO JUST SPIN OUT OF

CONTROL, FRET, AND WORRY

UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAS

RESOLVED ITSELF?

WAS I GOING TO RUIN MY ENTIRE

DAY BECAUSE OF THIS CONCERN?

OR WAS I GOING TO SAY, “GOD,

YOU GOT TO HELP ME WITH THIS

SITUATION.

GOD, I GOT TO PRESENT THIS TO

YOU.

YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME.

YOU SAID YOU’D FIGHT MY

BATTLES FOR ME.

NOW, GOD, I AM GIVING THIS TO

YOU, AND I’M GOING TO TRY TO

REST AND HEAR EVERYTHING YOU

WOULD WANT ME TO HEAR FROM

YOU.”

YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS

CHOICE.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE

THIS THING CALLED “WORRY”?

ARE WE GOING TO JUST WORK IT

IN OUR MINDS?

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, WHEN I

WORRY, IT’S LIKE I’M REALLY

DOING SOMETHING.

I’M JUST WORKING IT AND

WORKING IT AND WORKING IT IN

MY MIND.

I HEARD WORRY WAS A LOT LIKE

SITTING IN A ROCKING CHAIR.

YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING, BUT

IT’S GETTING YOU NOWHERE.

WE’RE JUST WORKING IT AND

WORKING IT AND WORKING IT IN

OUR MINDS, AND THAT’S SO

UNPRODUCTIVE.

MY QUESTION TODAY IS, HOW ARE

YOU HANDLING WORRY?

BECAUSE HOW WE HANDLE WORRY

AND STRESS IS GOING TO MAKE

ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR

LIFE.

THERE’S TWO SISTERS IN THE

BIBLE NAMED MARY AND MARTHA.

YOU CAN FIND THEIR STORY IN

LUKE.

MARY AND MARTHA ARE TWO

SISTERS.

THEY HAD A BROTHER.

THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY, FROM

WHAT THE SCHOLARS SAY,

WELL-TO-DO PEOPLE.

SO THEY HAVE A LOT GOING ON

IN THEIR LIFE.

THEY HAD MONEY TO MANAGE.

THEY HAD A HOME TO MANAGE.

THEY HAD A LOT OF THINGS

HAPPENING.

ONE DAY, JESUS CAME TO THEIR

HOME.

HE WAS GOING TO STAY WITH

THEM.

HE WAS GOING TO FELLOWSHIP

WITH THEM.

I’M SURE THEY WERE SO

EXCITED.

I’M SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN

THE TOWN KNEW, “HEY, JESUS IS

COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE,”

BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY

IMPORTANT PERSON.

SO I’M SURE THEY WERE

PREPARING.

THEY WERE GETTING EVERYTHING

JUST PERFECT FOR JESUS.

JESUS CAME TO THEIR HOME, AND

AS THEY WERE FELLOWSHIPPING,

AND AS THEY WERE ENJOYING

JESUS, JESUS NOTICED

SOMETHING ABOUT MARTHA.

SHE WAS BUZZING AROUND.

SHE WAS WORKING IT, WORKING

IT, WORKING IT, AND HE SAID

TO HER, “MARTHA, MARTHA, WHY

ARE YOU SO ANXIOUS AND

TROUBLED ABOUT SO MANY

THINGS?”

YOU SEE, HE HAD OBSERVED

MARTHA AS THEY WERE IN THIS

HOME.

HE SAW HOW SHE WAS HANDLING

ALL THE TO-DO THAT WAS GOING

ON.

BUT IN CONTRAST, HERE’S HER

SISTER MARY.

NOW, MARY HAD AS MUCH

RESPONSIBILITY AS MARTHA DID,

BUT MARY SAID, “I’M GOING TO

TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, WHEN

ALL MY BUSYNESS AND ALL THE

CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, TO JUST

LINGER HERE WITH JESUS.

BECAUSE, SEE, HE’S AT MY

HOUSE TODAY.

I WANT TO SIT AT HIS FEET.

I WANT TO POUR OUT MY HEART

TO HIM SO HE CAN POUR IN HIS

THOUGHTS TO ME.”

YOU SEE, MARTHA WAS SO

DISTURBED THAT HER SISTER

WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO

SIT AT THE FEET OF JESUS WHEN

THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO THAT

SHE SAID, “JESUS, YOU NEED TO

TELL MY SISTER TO COME HELP

ME.

SHE NEEDS TO GET UP AND SHE

NEEDS TO GET IN THIS KITCHEN.

THERE’S EMAILS TO ANSWER.

THERE’S STUFF ON THE STOVE.

THE KIDS NEED TO BE TAKEN

CARE OF.

THERE’S A BUNCH OF STUFF TO

DO, AND SHE NEEDS TO GET UP,

AND SHE NEEDS TO HELP ME.”

CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE WOULD

EVEN SAY THAT TO HER GUEST OF

HONOR?

HE SAID TO HER, “MARY HAS

CHOSEN THE ONE IMPORTANT

THING.

SHE’S CHOSEN THAT ONE THING.

SHE’S CHOSEN THE BETTER

WAY.”

NOW, LET ME JUST TELL YOU

THIS RIGHT NOW.

HE SAID, “THERE’S ONE

IMPORTANT THING.

THERE’S A BETTER WAY.”

NOW, HE WAS VERY MUCH AWARE

OF THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS

THAT THESE WOMEN HAD.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS

SAID, “IN THIS WORLD YOU’RE

GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE.

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE

HARDSHIP.

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME

THINGS THAT COME AGAINST YOU.

BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE

ALREADY OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

“BE OF GOOD CHEER, I’VE

ALREADY OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

I GUESS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT

THAT SCRIPTURE, YOU CAN SAY,

“EASY FOR YOU TO SAY, JESUS,

YOU’RE GOD.

I STILL HAVE THESE TROUBLES

AND THESE CONCERNS.”

BUT THIS IS WHAT HE WAS

SAYING.

HE WASN’T SAYING THAT YOU

SHOULDN’T TAKE YOUR

RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY.

HE WASN’T SAYING THAT THERE

WEREN’T LEGITIMATELY THINGS

TO BE DONE.

HE WAS SAYING, “THERE’S ONE

IMPORTANT THING, AND IT’S THE

BETTER WAY.”

WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS, “ALL

THESE CONCERNS, ALL THESE

CRISES, ALL THESE THINGS THAT

ARE COMING AGAINST YOU, YOU

NEED TO COME HANG AROUND AT

MY FEET.

LINGER IN MY PRESENCE

BECAUSE, SEE, THAT’S THE ONE

IMPORTANT THING THAT’S GOING

TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH.

THAT’S THE BETTER WAY TO

HANDLE WORRY AND STRESS.

THAT’S THE BETTER WAY TO

HANDLE WORRY AND STRESS.”

YOU SEE, I BELIEVE THAT MARY

SOMEHOW FIGURED OUT THE

BETTER WAY, AND SHE DID IT.

IT WASN’T THAT SHE WAS LAZY.

IT WASN’T THAT SHE DIDN’T

CARE.

MARY SAID, “LOOK, THIS IS MY

CHANCE RIGHT NOW TO EMPTY OUT

THE CONCERNS AND TO PUT IN

ALL THAT GOD IS.”

YOU SEE, THAT’S THE BETTER

WAY.

HAVE YOU EVER PLANNED A

BIRTHDAY PARTY OR A HOLIDAY

CELEBRATION AT YOUR HOUSE, OR

SOME GATHERING, AND YOU WERE

SO STRESSED OUT THAT YOU MADE

YOUR OWN SELF MISERABLE, AND

MAYBE SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS

AND FAMILY AS WELL?

THERE’S A BETTER WAY TO

HANDLE THE STRESSES OF LIFE.

THE WORD “WORRY” COMES FROM

AN OLD ENGLISH WORD IN THE

1500S THAT MEANT “TO

STRANGLE,” “TO STRANGLE.”

I THINK THAT’S AN AMAZING

INTERPRETATION OF THAT WORD

BECAUSE WORRY AND STRESS

LITERALLY CHOKES THE FUN OUT

OF LIFE.

IT LITERALLY PRESSURES US IN

EVERY RELATIONSHIP THAT WE

HAVE.

IT STEALS OUR JOY.

THINK ABOUT IT.

JESUS WAS AT MARTHA’S HOUSE.

SHE COULDN’T EVEN ENJOY THE

FACT THAT JESUS WAS THERE.

SHE MISSED THE WHOLE BEAUTY

OF THE MOMENT.

SHE COULDN’T CALM DOWN,

RELAX, AND BE PEACEFUL.

SHE ALLOWED THE STRESS THAT

WAS GOING ON IN HER MIND TO

STRAIN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH

HER OWN SISTER.

SEE, IT WAS AN ATTITUDE THAT

CHANGED.

WORRY DOESN’T CHANGE ANYTHING

BUT YOUR PERSONALITY.

IT CHANGES YOUR DISPOSITION.

IT DOESN’T MAKE THE SITUATION

BETTER.

ACTUALLY, IT MAKES THE

SITUATION WORSE.

I WORKED WITH A WOMAN SEVERAL

YEARS AGO, AND SHE HAD SOME

LEGITIMATE CONCERNS IN HER

LIFE, AND I COULD SEE HOW IT

WAS AFFECTING HER ENTIRE

LIFE.

HER SON WAS IN THE MILITARY

AND HE HAD BEEN DEPLOYED TO

ANOTHER COUNTRY.

SHE WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED

ABOUT HIS WELL-BEING AND IF

HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT AND

HOW THINGS WERE GOING.

SHE WAS SO CONCERNED AND SO

WORKED UP THAT I SAW IT BEGIN

TO CHANGE HER DISPOSITION,

CHANGE HER PERSONALITY.

SHE COULD HARDLY EVEN

FUNCTION AT WORK, AND I SAID

TO HER, I SAID, “LOOK,

THERE’S GOT TO BE A BETTER

WAY TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION.

I MEAN, HE IS THERE.

THERE IS NOT A THING THAT YOU

CAN DO ABOUT IT.

YOU’VE GOT TO COME TO THIS

PLACE OF PEACE AND REST IN

THE LORD.”

SO I BEGAN TO PRAY WITH HER,

AND THEN I BEGAN TO MAKE SOME

SUGGESTIONS.

I SAID, “LOOK, YOU NEED TO

GET SOME SCRIPTURES.

YOU NEED TO HAVE THEM READY

JUST AS YOUR WARFARE, WHEN

THESE THOUGHTS START

STRANGLING YOUR JOY AND YOUR

PEACE.

YOU NEED TO WRITE OUT SOME

DECLARATIONS.

WHEN YOU FEEL THAT TENSION

COMING AGAINST YOU, YOU NEED

TO SAY, ‘GOD, THANK YOU THAT

MY SON IS IN THE PALM OF YOUR

HAND.

THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT NO

WEAPON FORMED AGAINST HIM

WILL PROSPER.

FATHER, THANK YOU YOUR ANGELS

HAVE CHARGE OVER HIM, TO KEEP

HIM IN ALL OF HIS WAYS.

HE WON’T EVEN DASH HIS FOOT

AGAINST THE STONE, BUT HE’LL

TREAD UPON THE LION AND THE

COBRA, THE YOUNG LION SHALL

HE TRAMPLE UNDERFOOT.

THANK YOU, FATHER, YOU PUT A

BLOODLINE AROUND HIM THAT THE

ENEMY CANNOT CROSS.

FATHER, I THANK YOU, LORD,

THAT MY SON WILL COME HOME

SAFELY.'”

I BEGAN TO SEE HER PUT THIS

INTO PRACTICE.

LITTLE BY LITTLE, SHE BEGAN

TO TAKE CONTROL OVER THAT

WORRY, AND I COULD SEE THE

STRENGTH COME BACK.

I COULD SEE HER FOCUS AND HER

RESOLVE COME BACK.

SHE BEGAN TO PRAISE GOD IN

THE MIDST OF HER FEAR AND HER

TORMENT, AND IT MADE ALL THE

DIFFERENCE IN HER LIFE.

YOU SEE, WORRY PULLS US AWAY

FROM GOD’S POWER, BUT WORSHIP

AND PRAISE DRAWS US TO HIM

AND IT CHANGES THE SITUATION.

I HAVE A GOOD NEWS TO REPORT.

SIX YEARS SERVING IN THE

MILITARY, AND HER SON CAME

HOME SAFELY.

HE CAME HOME SAFELY.

YOU SEE, WORRY’S A WEIGHT.

IT WEIGHS US DOWN, CAUSES US

TO NOT BE PRODUCTIVE.

IN FACT, THE BIBLE SAYS, “LAY

ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT THAT WOULD

SO EASILY BESET US, COME ON

US.”

SO YOU HAVE TO LAY IT ASIDE

BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT “YOU

HAVE TO RUN WITH PURPOSE IN

EVERY STEP,” AND WHEN YOU ARE

WEIGHED DOWN, YOU CAN’T RUN.

MY SWEET FRIEND WAS SO

WEIGHED DOWN, SHE COULDN’T

HARDLY GET TO WORK, MUCH LESS

RUN.

YOU SEE, WHEN SHE BEGAN TO

LAY ASIDE THAT WEIGHT, SHE

WAS ABLE TO RUN OUT HER

PURPOSE.

SEE, HER PRAYERS, HER

INTERCESSION FOR HER SON WAS

MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN HER

WORRY.

WHEN SHE TALKED TO HIM ON THE

PHONE, SHE COULD SAY, “SON, I

WANT TO TELL YOU, I’M PRAYING

FOR YOU.

THE ANGELS OF THE LORD HAVE

CHARGE OVER YOU.

YOU WALK OUT AND YOU BE BOLD

WITH CONFIDENCE.

KNOW THAT GOD ALMIGHTY IS

LOOKING AFTER YOU.”

SHE COULD ENCOURAGE HIM TO

PRAY FOR HIMSELF.

YOU SEE, WHEN SHE BEGAN TO

LAY ASIDE THE WEIGHT AND RUN

WITH PURPOSE, SHE WAS WAY

MORE EFFECTIVE.

THERE’S A TECHNIQUE THAT I

USE, AND I’VE USED IT FOR

YEARS, AND IT WORKS FOR ME.

YOU JUST GOT TO FIND

SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR YOU,

RIGHT?

SO WHEN I HAVE THESE CONCERNS

AND THESE TROUBLES, I IMAGINE

A BIG HELIUM BALLOON, BIG

BEAUTIFUL BALLOON, RED, RED

BALLOON, IT’S A POWER COLOR,

AND I BEGIN TO PUT THOSE

TROUBLES IN THAT BALLOON, AND

I IMAGINE MYSELF HOLDING THAT

BALLOON BY THE STRING,

HOLDING IT OUT IN FRONT OF ME

WITH THOSE TROUBLES, AND I

LOOK AT THAT BALLOON AND I

LET IT GO AND I RELEASE IT TO

GOD, AND I SAY, “GOD, THANK

YOU THAT YOU’RE BIGGER THAN

ALL THESE TROUBLES.

THANK YOU THAT YOU LOVE ME

AND THAT YOU SAID YOU’D

PERFECT THOSE THINGS THAT

CONCERN ME.

SO I’M GOING TO GIVE THEM TO

YOU.

THESE TROUBLES ARE JUST GOING

TO GO RIGHT AT YOUR FEET,

JESUS.

YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF

THEM.”

YOU SEE, SOMETIMES, I HAVE TO

ADMIT, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO

LET GO OF A WHOLE BOUQUET OF

BALLOONS.

DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO.

DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO TO

RELEASE THE WORRY AND THE

CARE BECAUSE JESUS WILL

SUSTAIN YOU WHEN YOU RELEASE

IT TO HIM.

LISTEN, IF YOU FEEL THE

PRESSURE, THE STRANGLEHOLD OF

WORRY COMING ON YOU, EVEN IF

IT’S AUTOMATIC, PUSH THE

PAUSE BUTTON.

LET’S BE LIKE MARY.

LET’S TAKE A LESSON FROM THIS

WOMAN, AND LET’S SIT AT HIS

FEET.

LET’S LINGER THERE FOR A

WHILE.

LET’S EMPTY OUT THE CONCERNS

SO THAT WE’LL HAVE ROOM TO

RECEIVE HIS GOODNESS, HIS

THOUGHTS TOWARD US, HIS

WISDOM, HIS JOY.

LISTEN, WEIGHT IS ONLY GOING

TO WEIGH YOU DOWN, BUT WHEN

YOU LET IT GO TO HIM, MMM,

ALL THINGS CAN BE NEW AGAIN,

AMEN?

AMEN.