What to do about worry

by Jay E. Adams

Presents a christian approach to dealing with worry. First, plan as a Christian, Focus on your concern for today, Work on today's task, and Do not allow problems to mount up. Then the author presents three steps to defeating worry. Step One - Pray with Thanksgiving; Step Two - Find God's Solution to Problems. Step Three - Work on the Problem God's Way. The book includes 10 pages each with the following three questions to write down your answers; 1) What is my Problem?; 2) What Does God want me to do about it? 3) When, where and how should I begin?

Genres: Counselling, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Biblical Studies, Theology

28 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Jay Edward Adams is a Reformed Christian author. He has written over 100 books and these have been published in sixteen languages.
He received a Bachelor of Divinity from Reformed Episcopal Seminary, a Bachelor of Arts in Classics from Johns Hopkins University,a Masters in Sacred Theology from Temple University, and a PhD in Speech from the University of Missouri.
Adams' book Competent to Counsel launched the nouthetic counseling movement, a movement whose aim was to use strictly biblical counseling methods. He is the founder of the Intitute for Nothetic Studies.

Reviews

[Paul Dare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. The title threw me off a bit as I expected more examples throughout of how we could apply the Scriptures to mid-week Christian living and decisions. This is more of a “How to Study the Bible” book with some “Living a disciplined Christian life”. Much of it reminded me of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Fee and Stuart. Still a great book, but I just wasn’t expecting so much time to be spent on bible study methods. Adams makes a strong argument for rigorous and regular serious study of Scripture leading to applying the Scriptures and its principles to circumstances and decisions throughout the week, in a natural manner. Study, combined with ingraining what you’re learning in your study will always help you do what pleases God on Thursday, Monday, Saturday evening ,etc.
Adams also renders a great service to the reader by listing some basic starter books you should buy (Vines’ Expository Dictionary of NT Words, Vincent’s Word Studies and Robertson’s Word Pictures) to get your study jump started and heading in the right direction. This is a great little read. I highly recommend it to you.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a primer on how to study the Bible for sound application. It is best used as a side-by-side aid than to simply read it straight through, because Adams asks you to do some homework as you go along. There are probably tons of "how to study the Scriptures" books out there, but this one is unique in having a really clear focus on how to apply the Scriptures in everyday decisions, and to apply it by knowing the Scriptures, as opposed to simply being able to recite them by rote.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

A letdown; it doesn't come close to providing the Biblical, ethical guidance for common situations I expected.

I read this because it was recommended by Lou Priolo in Teach Them Diligently.

Notes
A Look at How It Works
Don't do something you think may be sin (Rom 14:23).

What Is Involved?
Biblical ethics requirements
• Knowledge of Bible content, including location of passages, or knowledge of how to find them.
• Ability to interpret Scripture, abstracting principles.
• Knowledge of how to apply scriptural principles to one's situation and how to implement to effect change.

Interpreting the Words of Scripture
How to determine meaning of word
• Context
• Similar usage (by same or different author)
• Commentaries (check at least 3)
• Translations

Interpreting the Passage
That gates of hades won't prevail against church (Matt 16:18) means that the counsels of evil powers in unseen world against church will fail.

Principles of Biblical Interpretation
Determining literal and figurative
• When literal is absurd, try figurative.
• Try literal interpretation, and compare to rest of Scripture.
• Examine internal indication (type of literature; indications within book; figures teach factual, literal, historical truth).

Goal Setting and Scheduling
Include passivities as well as activities in your schedule. Leisure time, relaxation, and rest are essential.

Adaptation
To abstract principle from passage
• Is general purpose of passage to inform, convince, or motivate?
• If inform, about what? If convince, to believe or disbelieve what? If motivate, to do or stop doing what?

[Kofi Opoku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with my wife, but I think the book is better suited for individual study rather than group reading. It offers helpful principles, and the main point was solid—he argues that much of our Bible reading lacks practical application because we don't know how to apply it to life outside the church. However, I found some of the worksheets hard to interpret. Also, there were a few careless typos that were distracting.

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! I like his system for finding things quickly in the Bible, and I'm planning to implement it. Will just take a little time. I found a few chapters near the end of the book that weren't applicable for me (written for pastors) but the majority of the book was easy to read and understand, and definitely applicable.

[Jez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reminder to apply doctrine and theology. Knowledge without action does no good for the church or your life. Really simple if you don't have any training yet profound enough in its call for application to be challenging to long time Biblical scholars as well.

[Michael Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical and to-the-point. I recommend to everyone who wants to improve their understanding of scripture and how to apply it to everyday life and its problems.

[Jennifer Trzeciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Jay Adams—intensely practical and helpful while lacking some pastoral heart behind what he says. Great little book to read and implement for using the Scriptures in every day life.

[Danieltituscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good but basic. I would imagine that there is a thin slice of overlap between Those Who Don't Know What to Do and Those Who Are Willing to Do It.

[Angela Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful directions on how to correctly study, interperate and apply the Bible.

[Javan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edifying and convicting. A very important book to read.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book providing the reader for food for thought on how to study the Bible, but not to just study the Bible, so as to be smarter or more informed, but to study the Bible, so as to arrive at practical application of the Bible. Very helpful book and one I highly recommend.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to how to study the Bible.

[Samanta Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great view about how we should use the scriptures in our daily lives instead of just to be a Sunday Christian

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book on how to learn to interpret and apply Scripture to practical life.