How to Get Out of the Worry Rut
July 18, 2004
The Rev. Dr. Anthony J. Godlefski, Pastor
Montgomery United Methodist Church
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, good morning! There is a story told about a man who went to Alaska. He was driving along the back roads in this frozen state. The roads became less and less developed, and pretty soon the pavement was gone; he was traveling on dirt roads. Well, there had been quite a bit of melting and freezing and melting and freezing, and he was in Alaska during the freezing time. And there were great, deep ruts in this frozen earth. The ruts were so deep that someone had decided to put up a sign that read: “Choose your rut carefully. You may be in it for the next twelve miles.”
I’d like to talk with you this morning about the topic, “How to Get Out of the Worry Rut.” Worry can feel like getting stuck in a certain groove or rut that we can't quite get out of. Actually, there is a physiological reason for this. We "lock in" to a certain thought pattern like the needle on a record (or the track on a CD), and we keep going. I wonder if you know what this feels like. I’ll bet you do. You have something on your mind, and it seems very important, and you go over it again and again and again. Maybe it’s a challenge. Maybe it’s a concern. But you find your mind spinning around it, all the time, all the time. If you’re in a tough relationship, perhaps you find yourself thinking about that person and having imaginary conversations with them when they’re not around. Perhaps you find yourself going along the worry rut when you’re trying to sleep, or when you’re getting up in the morning. Perhaps you find yourself worrying about work things not only at work, but when you go home and when you’re on vacation, and, heaven forbid, when you’re with your family. That’s what I mean by being in the worry rut.
Now, I’m not saying that your concerns are not important. Of course they are, or else we wouldn’t be thinking about them. But there is more to life, my friend, and there is more to you than being in the worry rut. Let’s see what the scriptures have to say about this. The scripture I’d like to lift up for you today is Romans 12:1-2.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.
“ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Be not conformed to this world – that means come out of the rut. Come out of the rut of this world. What is the rut of this world? This worry, anxiety, sin, negative thinking, doubt, hopelessness, faithlessness – that’s the conformity of this world. But the scripture says “be transformed by the renewing of your mind to the good and acceptable will of God.”
So the question is this: how do we get out of the worry rut? It really is possible. When your car is in a rut, the more you spin your tires the deeper the rut becomes. And when you keep worrying about something, that worry grows, too. When you go over something again and again in your mind, it literally, physically, creates a synapse which is like a rut in your mind, and it’s harder and harder to get out.
But, friend, we can get out of the worry rut. We can. I’m going to suggest three ways to you, using the image of a car. You see, the way out of the worry rut is to take the high road of fresh thought.
The first thing to do is to check your rear view mirror. What does that mean? If you’re in a worrisome situation, check out your rear view mirror, the past. Say to yourself, “I’ve been here before. I’ve dealt with tough things before and I’ve come through, and with God’s help I will come through again.” Check your rear view mirror. Ask yourself, “Have I been successful in life? Where have been the triumphs for me?” Concentrate on them.
In Starlite Chorale, the singing group I have, before our performances we make a circle and have a prayer, and then right before we go on stage we have the PAH. What is the PAH? We put our fists in the center of the circle and I ask everybody to think of a moment when they were unstoppable, a moment when they were absolutely triumphant and affirmed, to think of that moment. Do it now, won’t you? Can you think of a moment when you were really doing well and felt great? Be silly with me. Make a fist, thumb up, and say PAH. Think of that situation again, and make it brighter and make it bigger. Make a fist and go PAH. Now think of it one more time. Make the colors even brighter, the affirmation even greater, the feeling even more unstoppable. Make a fist and go PAH. You see, you can’t be down when you think of a moment like that.
So, one way to get out of the worry rut is to check your rear view mirror, the successes of the past and the fact that you’ve come through things before.
Second, take the next exit. What does that mean? It means that if you find yourself going around and around about a certain worry and there is nothing you can do about it at the moment, make a date with yourself as to when you can do something about it, and begin to worry then. But take the next exit, and that means say to the worry – these are powerful words; this really works; it’s like medicine – “What else shall we think about?” Now, believe it or not, if you say those words to a worry rut, it will make a difference and your mind will move. The words are “What else shall we think about?”
Check your rear view mirror. Take the next exit. And third, remember who your navigator is. Your navigator is Jesus Christ. You are not alone in this ride of life. Let your mind dwell on Him. Let your mind think about the holy things. Let your mind think about God, about the wonder of Jesus. Do you have a scripture verse that you love? Say the scripture verse in your head. Do you have a hymn that you love? Sing the hymn. Let thoughts of Jesus, your navigator, fill your heart and pull you out of the worry rut.
Can I sing a few verses for you of a song I learned when I was in voice class at college?
Jesus, the very thought of Thee,
With sweetness fills my breast.
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind.
Sing your favorite hymn inside. Think of your favorite scripture verse. Consider the beautiful thought of Jesus. And you will be lifted out of the worry rut. Your mind will be freed to think more creatively, more fully.
Last thought. Friend, when God created Adam and Eve and therefore all of us, He placed them in a garden, not in a compartment and not in a rut. And so, come out of the rut and enjoy the many paths of God’s garden. Because, God loves you. I do, too. Have a blessed week. Amen.