These days, many Christians are under a lot of financial pressure, worrying about how they will pay their bills in this economy. They are looking at their current situations, trying to figure things out on their own and neglecting to get God involved.  Many times, when we are under pressure, it seems our most immediate response is to worry. However, worry is negative meditation; it is dwelling on problems instead of solutions.

Worry is actually a form of fear, and fear gives Satan access into our lives. Fear is the reciprocal of faith.  In other words, faith and fear are spiritual laws that work in the same manner, but in opposite directions. For example, faith produces the results we want, while fear produces the results we do not want. Therefore, we cannot operate in fear and faith at the same time. Furthermore, Satan uses fear as part of his plan to destroy us.

Webster’s dictionary defines worry as a strong feeling of anxiety. It is to be anxious, troubled, uneasy, mentally agitated or disturbed. Another definition of worry is “to harass.” That is exactly what anxious thoughts do—they harass the mind. However, we do not have to allow those harassing thoughts to roll over and over in our minds. We can stop them by speaking faith-filled words from God’s Word, ushering in peace instead of fear.

Whether we are concerned about money or other issues, worry never resolves anything. To receive God-kind of solutions, we must first cast our care (worry) on Him, knowing He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Only then will the magnitude of our problems start to decrease.

Casting our care on God does not give us an excuse to be lackadaisical. For example, if unemployment is our concern, we must employ ourselves by looking for a job. We must trust Him to lead us to the right place while we are looking. Therefore, casting our care is an issue of trust. We begin to do all we can do (our part), while trusting Him to do His part.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Fear also comes by hearing and hearing the words of Satan.  When we hear all the reports on the news about how bad the economy is, fear knocks at the door of our hearts. However, we do not have to answer. Instead, we can say no to fear. We can instantly replace fear with faith by opening our mouths and declaring what God’s Word says.

As Christians, we operate according to the kingdom of God, which means we have a better way of doing things. For example, when we have a problem, we go to God’s Word first before exhausting all other options. We can ask for wisdom and expect Him to give it to us (James 1:5). His way always proves to be the best way, and it brings us peace instead of stress and anxiety.

If you are in the middle of pressure, I suggest that you first begin to confess (or speak) the Word of God out loud on a regular basis, which is a form of meditation. There are solutions to your specific problems. However, you must search for the Scriptures that deal with your issues and begin meditating on them. The Bible says that meditating on His Word produces wisdom and good success (Joshua 1:8). Meditate on the Word until the pressure subsides, and your desired results are produced.