However, I suggest that the absolutely worst thing that could happen is for us to be rejected by God.  We can get through financial hardship, public scandal, and even suffering physically, which leads to eventual escape through death; but there is no remedy, no escape, nothing worse than to be rejected by God.  If we are a Christian, then this which is absolutely the worst cannot happen, because we are joined to Christ.

If fear and worry were taught in universities, some relatives on my mom’s side of the family would have held tenured positions at Harvard.  Fear and worry were as much a part of life as things like food, sleep and breathing.  As a child, I learned to be an expert worrier, even to the point of having a list of things that I carried with me, known as my “worry list.”  Fear and worry weren’t my constant experience, but they were learned early and carried into adulthood.  When my wife and I began our family, I decided that, by God’s grace, this particular family tradition was not going to continue with our children, and God was gracious to allow the chain to be broken.

Over the years, as I have battled these sister sins, I have learned that everyone has experience with them; it’s just that they are a bigger problem for some than for others.  In trying to counsel myself and others, sometimes I have considered the worst that could happen in a given situation.  For some, this means death, or to be penniless or publicly disgraced.  In a recent discussion, death was suggested as the worst thing that could happen in life, and someone else suggested that suffering leading to death was the worst.  Of course there are other worst case answers, like harm to our loved ones or their not becoming Christians.

However, I suggest that the absolutely worst thing that could happen is for us to be rejected by God.  We can get through financial hardship, public scandal, and even suffering physically, which leads to eventual escape through death; but there is no remedy, no escape, nothing worse than to be rejected by God.  If we are a Christian, then this which is absolutely the worst cannot happen, because we are joined to Christ.

In college, two Christian friends of mine got into an argument.  In anger one said to the other “Go to Hell,” to which my other friend calmly replied, “I can’t.”  I’ve always loved the beauty of that response; it was truth very practically applied.

To be rejected by God as the worst thing that could happen is exactly what we see happening to Christ when He suffered in our place.  He took the wrath and judgment of God for our sin.  We deserve to be rejected for all eternity, but Christ took upon Himself that rejection, that we might be forgiven and made the children of God.  Therefore, friend, in all your fear and worry, if you are a child of God in Christ, realize that the very worst that could happen to you can’t happen.  Jesus Christ has already willingly let it happen to Him.

Even though the worst that can happen can’t happen, we still need help in addressing our fear and worry; so I would like to offer seven things that have helped me.

1) Regularly confess your sin and ask forgiveness.  Fear and worry are not personality issues; they are sins.  They are serious sins, because they question the love, wisdom and power of God.  Do a Bible study, if you don’t believe me.  As they occur in your life, confess them and know you are forgiven in Christ.

2) Rejoice in Christ’s righteousness.  Christ has obeyed, in never sinning in fear or worry, and His righteousness counts for you.  You fail and will continue to do so, but Christ did not, and His obedience counts for you.

3) Get good counsel.  By good counsel I do not mean you need to go see a counselor; maybe you do, or you need to speak to a minister or mature Christian friend.  However, there is excellent counsel available by other means, such as, good sermons or teaching you may find on the internet.  Years ago, I spent much time reading and rereading books likeSpiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones or A Lifting Up Of the Downcast, by William Bridge.  I read books on counseling by Jay Adams and many others.  In the last few years, I have studied in Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest, by Ed Welch.

4) Work through key portions of Scripture.  There are portions of Scripture that you need to spend time meditating upon, such as, Matthew 6: 25-14; Phil. 4:6-9; I Peter 5:6-11 and many more.  You should try to be in God’s Word daily; but when you are especially overwhelmed with fear and worry, you need to spend more time than usual meditating on God’s truth.  Come up with your own list of verses that you will go to when needed.  Some year it may be Matthew 6 that helps you most; another year it may be a couple of Psalms that God’s Spirit impresses on your heart.

5) Pray through the Psalms.  Every Psalm is not going to apply to where you are, at a given moment, but the Psalms will help you identify with others who have known fear and worry as you have, and they can help you pray.  The Psalms will help you see the Lord as your salvation for whatever your fear or worry may be, and help you praise God, instead of spending all of your time praying for and thinking about yourself.

6) Learn to counsel yourself.  Years ago, I learned to appreciate the sermons of Lloyd-Jones, because he not only carried on a conversation with his listeners, but he taught them how to talk to and counsel themselves.  Sometimes in a room alone, I have talked to myself as though I was giving counsel to another person.  Sometimes, I have taken a piece of paper and diagramed particular fears or worries, and written out answers and truths relating to what I know about God and what His truth tells me.

7) Get more involved with the needs of others.  Many who are dominated by fear and worry live very self absorbed lives.  Their mind is always on self or their own family.  Get outside your normal world.  Help out at a nursing home and breathe deeply with mouth closed as you walk down the hall.  Where are those in need around you; how can you help?  Yes, you are battling fear and worry, but that battle is not to be your life.  God often uses others in need to help us get a better perspective on our lives and how blessed we are.

I’m sure there is other good advice others could give to help you.  This is what has helped me.  God help us all, AND He will; He is our Savior.

K. W. Pete Hurst is a part-time associate pastor at Calvary Reformed, PCA, Hampton, VA and an Associate Broker in Real Estate with DuVal Associates in Newport News, VA. He blogs at God’s Fool, where this article first appeared.