Oswald Chambers: "Worry is Caused by Calculating without God"

Trying to map out a situation while one is worried
can seem a bit like this, right?

"All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God."

~Oswald Chambers

 

    This is a really accurate way to think of it. Worrying about something involves a whole lot of thinking (or at least, a whole lot of thoughts); considering the bad things that can happen, and predicting what will possibly happen if things don't start changing. Meditations like this, unfortunately, can bring up a lot of negative conclusions, can't they? It's almost like plotting out a story, or multiple versions of a story, only doing it isn't satisfying or pleasant at all; it's depressing. Worrying is not fun, and it does indeed involve a lot of calculating that doesn't factor in God.
    The Lord doesn't want us stressing out like this. In Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:2 (NKJ), Christ tells His disciples, "do not worry about your life." A couple verses later in Luke 12:25, He says that worrying doesn't accomplish anything (it can't add "one cubit" to a person's height); and as stated in numerous Psalms like Psalm 27:1, the Lord's reliability as one's light, salvation, and strength makes worrying unnecessary. 1 John 4:18 states that "perfect love" (like God's love for us) "casts out fear" (NKJ); and one of Christ's titles is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Without the Prince of Peace, without the Lord in our lives and His assurances given to us, there would undoubtedly be reason to worry about dilemmas.
    But we do have the Lord leading us in life; we do have a Savior. Trying to think out a serious problem without Him can only bring on stress and fear; but by exercising the gift of being able to factor in His promises and trust in Him, the need to worry dissolves. He preserves the faithful (Psalm 31:23), and with that kind of promise, we can be calm!
    This quote by Oswald Chambers summarizes that truth very neatly, don't you think? :) Do you also think of worrying as the result of incomplete calculation?