Leaders worry about stuff. We just do. I don’t mean that wring-your-hands, fretting and get-sick-to-your-stomach kind of worry. But that kind of natural focused concern about things you care about.
Like we “worry” about our kids. Parents care, we just do. We want our kids to be safe, healthy and make good decisions. That’s normal, but … not necessarily the best use of our emotional energy and spiritual capacity.
The bottom line is that worry isn’t helpful or productive, and rarely changes anything.
There are common worries leaders experience such as:
- Worry about what other people think.
- Worry about what we can’t control.
- Worry about finances.
- Worry about church growth.
- Worry about opposition or a confrontation.
Corrie Ten Boom said: “ Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” That is such good wisdom!
In a leadership talk, John Maxwell asked the question, “Why worry?” Here’s what he said:
- 40 percent will never happen.
- 30 percent concerns old decisions that cannot be changed.
- 12 percent centers upon criticisms made by people who feel inferior.
- 10 percent is related to my health, which worsens when I worry.
- 8 percent is legitimate, which can be met head on when I have eliminated senseless worries.
That’s the beginning to winning over worry. Don’t let worry eat your lunch! Focus on what you can do something about. This leads us to the first step to remedy worry.
