What do you think?
Rate this book
Overcoming Worry - Discovery Series: Turning Fear into Faith
Worry is something we all experience to some degree. The challenge is how we choose to deal with it: Do we give into our fears or turn to God in faith? Overcoming Worry shares Joanie Yoder’s intense struggle with fear and worry, and how she realized that total dependence on God—not self-sufficiency—brought her out of darkness. Author David Egner also offers a biblical and practical perspective on how we can put our worries to work for us, rather than allow them to consume us. We aren’t immune to worry or its complications, but we can actively trust God with the unknown and experience the beauty of His peace.
- GenresChristian
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 1, 2019
I am not sure why "Our Daily Bread" sent me this booklet for free. I'm not sure if I signed up for it and forgot, or if it just came. But it is always apt for me to be reminded how to overcome worry, or lessen it.
In particular, this booklet had a good reminder for me to pray, and I found myself not just reading about praying, but actually praying over all the little worries in my life, which are, presently, getting ready to chaperone a youth event. So many things can go wrong. But I do feel better for having prayed over each concern, and now, whether or not God provides what I hope for it, that's enough to remember that He will be with me in it, and with these kids, that He loves them far more than I do, and that He has His own plans for the event.
As to the book itself, it is a good reminder of the basics on fighting worry. It's both appropriate for people new to that struggle, and those of us who need a refresher course now and then.
The booklet opens with an interview with Joanie Yoder, a writer for "Our Daily Bread." Although I have my ODB favorite writers, I'm afraid I don't remember Joanie at all. I probably read and enjoyed her writings without paying much attention to the author.
In this interview, Joanie quoted Catherine Marshall, and it wasn't clear to me when Catherine's words stopped and Joanie's began again, because of the way the information bubbles interrupted the text, and because Joanie's answer had gone on for several paragraphs. I had to flip back and forth several pages to try to determine where the transition had occurred. It was important to me because I did enjoy Catherine Marshall as an author as well, and I wasn't sure which struggles were Catherine's and which were Joanie's. I think, actually, the Catherine Marshall quote was very short, one sentence, and didn't end in the closing ".
Most of the beautiful things that Joanie Yoder and her interviewer, David Egner, said in the booklet were refreshing reminders, and I'll put my favorites at the bottom of this review.
I did, however, find one mildly troubling quirk, when Joanie Yoder said, "The four disciplines of reading, praying, trusting, and obeying interacted with one another. This interaction meant that there was something for me to do. But as I did, it set God free to do the things that only He could do." God is already, always free, regardless of what we do and don't do. In fact, we derive all our freedom from Him, in one form or another. I don't know what Joanie Yoder meant by "setting God free" because she didn't further explain what she meant by it. That was only in passing. So, in the spirit of lessening our worries, I'll say that God is Sovereign. "The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." - Psalm 135:6
Okay, enough nit-picking on my part. My favorite quotes:
"The greatest discovery we can make is to realize that our own strength is not enough." - Catherine Marshall. I'm not sure exactly where the quotes should be on that one.
"One of the characteristics is a need to control." That rings true with one chronic (obsessive?) worrier that I know, and probably me as well.
"As I began to incorporate these disciplines [reading, praying, trusting, obeying] into my daily life, I found that it cultivated an intimate relationship with Christ that developed confidence in Him." - Joanie Yoder
"Negative worry ... distracts us from resting in God's ability to meet our needs."
"... by turning worry into prayer."
"In the weakness of our fears, we have reason to look for the assurance of God's presence."
"Nothing happens in this world that is beyond the knowledge and power of God... The more worried we become, the more we act as if God were ignorant of our situation."
"Are we trusting in our feelings? Or do we believe on the basis of what we see in the created world around us and on the wisdom of the Bible, that our creator and sustainer is an all-powerful, trustworthy God?"
"Those who trust God 'shall be satisfied.' (Psalm 37:19)"
"'O you of little faith,' (Matthew 6:30). With those few words He reminds us that being burdened down with care can reflect a lack of trust in Him... Our worries are eased by a deep confidence in Him."
"It helps to calm us when we remember how God has cared for us in the past."
"We don't have the right to dictate the terms of our own happiness."
"Like doubt and fear, worry can either bring us to the Father in heaven, or it can drive us away from Him."
In particular, this booklet had a good reminder for me to pray, and I found myself not just reading about praying, but actually praying over all the little worries in my life, which are, presently, getting ready to chaperone a youth event. So many things can go wrong. But I do feel better for having prayed over each concern, and now, whether or not God provides what I hope for it, that's enough to remember that He will be with me in it, and with these kids, that He loves them far more than I do, and that He has His own plans for the event.
As to the book itself, it is a good reminder of the basics on fighting worry. It's both appropriate for people new to that struggle, and those of us who need a refresher course now and then.
The booklet opens with an interview with Joanie Yoder, a writer for "Our Daily Bread." Although I have my ODB favorite writers, I'm afraid I don't remember Joanie at all. I probably read and enjoyed her writings without paying much attention to the author.
In this interview, Joanie quoted Catherine Marshall, and it wasn't clear to me when Catherine's words stopped and Joanie's began again, because of the way the information bubbles interrupted the text, and because Joanie's answer had gone on for several paragraphs. I had to flip back and forth several pages to try to determine where the transition had occurred. It was important to me because I did enjoy Catherine Marshall as an author as well, and I wasn't sure which struggles were Catherine's and which were Joanie's. I think, actually, the Catherine Marshall quote was very short, one sentence, and didn't end in the closing ".
Most of the beautiful things that Joanie Yoder and her interviewer, David Egner, said in the booklet were refreshing reminders, and I'll put my favorites at the bottom of this review.
I did, however, find one mildly troubling quirk, when Joanie Yoder said, "The four disciplines of reading, praying, trusting, and obeying interacted with one another. This interaction meant that there was something for me to do. But as I did, it set God free to do the things that only He could do." God is already, always free, regardless of what we do and don't do. In fact, we derive all our freedom from Him, in one form or another. I don't know what Joanie Yoder meant by "setting God free" because she didn't further explain what she meant by it. That was only in passing. So, in the spirit of lessening our worries, I'll say that God is Sovereign. "The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." - Psalm 135:6
Okay, enough nit-picking on my part. My favorite quotes:
"The greatest discovery we can make is to realize that our own strength is not enough." - Catherine Marshall. I'm not sure exactly where the quotes should be on that one.
"One of the characteristics is a need to control." That rings true with one chronic (obsessive?) worrier that I know, and probably me as well.
"As I began to incorporate these disciplines [reading, praying, trusting, obeying] into my daily life, I found that it cultivated an intimate relationship with Christ that developed confidence in Him." - Joanie Yoder
"Negative worry ... distracts us from resting in God's ability to meet our needs."
"... by turning worry into prayer."
"In the weakness of our fears, we have reason to look for the assurance of God's presence."
"Nothing happens in this world that is beyond the knowledge and power of God... The more worried we become, the more we act as if God were ignorant of our situation."
"Are we trusting in our feelings? Or do we believe on the basis of what we see in the created world around us and on the wisdom of the Bible, that our creator and sustainer is an all-powerful, trustworthy God?"
"Those who trust God 'shall be satisfied.' (Psalm 37:19)"
"'O you of little faith,' (Matthew 6:30). With those few words He reminds us that being burdened down with care can reflect a lack of trust in Him... Our worries are eased by a deep confidence in Him."
"It helps to calm us when we remember how God has cared for us in the past."
"We don't have the right to dictate the terms of our own happiness."
"Like doubt and fear, worry can either bring us to the Father in heaven, or it can drive us away from Him."
December 4, 2018
There is a lot of meaningful lessons here in this tiny little book; a reminder of who God is and how to teach yourself to be God-dependent. When we worry, we sometimes forget how to trust in the Creator, and more often than not, look to our own inner resources, then if those don't work, we go to God as a last resort. We even sometimes feel like God isn't there or He doesn't care. The truth is, that's not God's character. He cares for us, loves us enough to die on the Cross for us! If He can take the burdens of the world on the Cross of Calvary, what makes us think He can't and won't help us lift our burdens, carrying us down the path until we are secured? Like Jesus says in Matthew 6:28-30: "Consider the lilies of the field; how they grow. They do not toil or spin." If you want to learn about how to overcome worry/anxiety in your life, how to trust God even in the darkest of times and through the deepest of your troubles/concerns, read this little book. You won't regret it!
June 5, 2026
Une petite lecture qui me parle beaucoup.
L’anxiété est un gros fardeau.
La paix que je peux avoir est uniquement trouvée en Christ. C’est Lui qui m’aide.
Philippiens 4:6-7 Ne vous inquiétez de rien; mais en toute chose faites connaître vos besoins à Dieu par des prières et des supplications, avec des actions de grâces.
Et la paix de Dieu, qui surpasse toute intelligence, gardera vos coeurs et vos pensées en Jésus Christ.
Ce que je retiens de ce livre :
- Remets ton sort à L’Éternel et compte sur la toute suffisance de Christ au lieu de compter sur tes ressources limitées.
- Sache que le Dieu tout-puissant se soucie encore plus que nous de nos circonstances.
- Tourne ton attention vers les attributs de Dieu trouvés dans la parole, comme sa bonté.
L’anxiété est un gros fardeau.
La paix que je peux avoir est uniquement trouvée en Christ. C’est Lui qui m’aide.
Philippiens 4:6-7 Ne vous inquiétez de rien; mais en toute chose faites connaître vos besoins à Dieu par des prières et des supplications, avec des actions de grâces.
Et la paix de Dieu, qui surpasse toute intelligence, gardera vos coeurs et vos pensées en Jésus Christ.
Ce que je retiens de ce livre :
- Remets ton sort à L’Éternel et compte sur la toute suffisance de Christ au lieu de compter sur tes ressources limitées.
- Sache que le Dieu tout-puissant se soucie encore plus que nous de nos circonstances.
- Tourne ton attention vers les attributs de Dieu trouvés dans la parole, comme sa bonté.
September 6, 2018
If you struggle with worry, anxiety, or fear, read this short little booklet. It simply & concisely explains how to use your worries & anxieties to your advantage, instead of letting them overwhelm you.
December 7, 2020
The Discovery Series Booklets are all I formative. As a reader you decide where it takes you emotionally. Scriptures are always included.
March 22, 2019
Helpful from beginning to end. It reminds us not to worry and always depend on God.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews