Are looking for peace in your life? I know that’s what drew me to the Catholic Church. I have the answer: don’t worry, just work!

When you are a follower of Christ, you know that you can give everything to Him, or to his Blessed Mother whom he has designated as the dispenser of all grace and our advocate. Jesus and Mary WANT to take your worry and your stress and your anxiety and your problems and give you peace in return.

I recently finished reading Gary Zimak’s new book “From Fear to Faith: A Worrier’s Guide to Discovering Peace.” Gary is a renowned Catholic speaker on the topic of worry and anxiety, and he outlines this important process in his 5-step plan to let go of worry and find peace. He was recently on one of my favorite Catholic radio shows, Catholic Answers Live, discussing the topic, which you can watch here:

For Gary, the first step in letting go of worry and finding peace is: Prepare.

You do this by prayerfully asking God to help you with a given problem and by asking Mary, and any of the saints, to pray for you regarding this problem. Then, you look for signs from God (you WILL see them if you’re paying attention) and do the “work” He is asking you to do. We can’t expect God to take care of the whole problem without us doing our part; however, we need to be sure “our part” is His will and we do so through prayer and careful discernment.

Then, do everything that’s in your power to help solve the problem. If you need a job, polish your resume and look for work. If you’re sick, go to the doctor and follow his or her orders. If you’re having a problem with a family member, speak the words you feel called to say, asking the Holy Spirit to speak through you.

Then… let God do the rest. His will be done! And be at peace.

Gary gives several wonderful examples of this process in the Bible. First is the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Jesus gives the apostles work to do: ordering the crowd and distributing the food. The apostles did the work and Jesus performed the miracle, creating more than enough food for everyone.

Another example would be the Wedding Feast at Cana where Jesus began his public ministry. After Mary’s statement that the married couple had no more wine, Jesus directs the workers in filling jars with water. Then… HE performs the miracle that solves the problem.

I recently had a similar issue with my mother, who was completely against moving to a new home, which really is a necessity for her financial stability. I had done everything I could to help her with her finances and run out of options. Out of no where, a friend suggested this VERY SAME new place to live and she was suddenly miraculously convinced that it was not just the right thing for her but something she really wanted to do. I did the work I could; God performed the miracle. Thanks be to God!

This has happened to me so many times in the last couple years since becoming Catholic and especially since consecrating myself to Jesus through Mary and praying the rosary daily. If you pay attention and give your live over to God, these things will happen to you. I hope you are able to recognize them as the work of God and remember to give thanks :). Let these miracles uplift you as you encounter the next problem in your life.

Do you see how this works? Can you stop worrying and just work? Totally trust God to do the rest? You will be blessed in abundance if so. Even if His solution is not your solution, you will have peace about it — whatever it may be.

This is one of the most repeated phrases by Jesus in the Bible – “Do not fear” or some variation. But so many of us worry, and worry and worry. I decided long ago as a child when I had to have a tooth pulled that worry was useless. What good did it do to torture myself with worry when either way I STILL had to have that tooth pulled. Might as well not think about it until it was actually happening.

That’s not to say I never worry, but I try not to let it take a front seat and mess up my day. But there are members of my family who truly paralyze themselves with worry, letting it destroy their life. And there are so many things you could worry about — and they do. What quality of life is that? I pray to you Lord to release them from their worry.

Here is one of my favorite Gospel passages about worry from Matthew, Chapter 6, that provides me with infinite comfort:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat?’ or What shall we drink?’ or What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.”

34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”

If only we can put our trust in God, we can release all worry. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow.” Yes!

Another good read for worriers: “The Worrier’s Guide to the Bible” by Gary Zimak.