How to Stop Worrying and Find Peace 

Do you ever lose sleep over current events, your family, health or the future? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, anxiety now affects 40 million Americans.   But God wants us to bring our fears and worries to Him.

Psalm 55:22 says to “cast your cares on the Lord” and promises “He will sustain you.” For those who place their trust in Christ, Dallas Willard once regarded that “the world is a perfectly good and safe place to be.” In fact, research suggests 85 percent of what we worry about never happens!

It’s like the story of a bassoon player who approached the great conductor Toscanini concerned because he couldn’t play a high E flat. According to the story, Toscanini just smiled and said, “Don’t worry. There is no E flat in your music tonight,” assuring the musician his worries were unfounded. (Source: Our Daily Bread) Like Toscanini, God never dismisses our concerns, He just reminds us they are unnecessary.

Many people worry they haven’t saved enough for retirement, but here are three reasons why it’s not too late:

1. 75 is the new 65.People are living longer than ever, which could actually allow you to delay retirement a few years and lessen financial worry at the same time.
2. Play catch-up. Americans age 50 and up are eligible to make extra contributions to tax-sheltered retirement accounts. These are called “catch-up contributions” and they may work for you.
3. The SECURE Act.Congress recently passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act to give Americans more time to continue retirement savings. While you can still make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to the Springfield Rescue Mission beginning at age 70½, the age for taking required minimum distributions from an IRA has been raised to age 72. If you have an IRA and meet the proper age requirements, a QCD is your smartest way to give.

 *The CARES Act (a response to COVID 19) gives owners of IRAs a temporary waiver of RMDs for 2020 only.