As I stopped by the editorial offices one morning, I found myself listening to someone talk about a large project with department manager Joel Hilliker. A firm deadline was coming up in a week, and there was, inarguably, too much left to do. “It will all get done,” our friend and colleague said, “but it’s a lot of stress.”

“You don’t have to do that part,” Mr. Hilliker replied. “You have to do the work—but you don’t have to do the stress.”

Mr. Hilliker then explained that the monthly production of the Trumpet had, in times past, produced the same emotional reaction for him. Will the writers get their articles in on time? Has everything been fact checked? Is the layout ready? Are all of the edits in and have we dealt with them? Do I need to replace this article with a new one—and who will write it? Are the ads effective? The questions about a publication are never ending—and eventually it must go to the printer. As the managing editor, it was his responsibility to make sure it upheld God’s standard.

But eventually he recognized that stress for what it is: an additional job that doesn’t provide a benefit. And he stopped worrying about it. Of course all of these tasks, no matter how large or small, must be completed. Worrying about those tasks, though, is a productivity killer.

I was an innocent bystander to this conversation, but I recognized the same fault in myself—and benefited greatly from the counsel. We have all experienced this problem, and the more things you have to manage, the easier it is to mistake the stresses of the task you are doing for the task itself.

God tells us to cast our burdens on Him—not to deal with them ourselves (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). We recently read a powerful example from Pastor General Gerald Flurry where he talked about Herbert W. Armstrong doing exactly that. In 1979, the evangelist in charge of ministry in the Worldwide Church of God led a group of people to have the state of California attack the Church. The man called Mr. Armstrong to tell him to go along with the authorities—that it would work out for the good of the Church.

God revealed to Mr. Armstrong that this man was a traitor to the Church, and he disfellowshiped him, then fought the state of California “like a tiger.”

Take special note of what Mr. Flurry wrote about this situation:

“At that very tense time, Mr. Armstrong made one of the most astounding statements I’ve ever heard him make. The state of California had attacked him and the Church; the state had control of Pasadena in the worst attack God’s Church had ever experienced. Ministers were betraying God, and Mr. Armstrong had to put top ministers, even evangelists, out of the Church. People were concerned about his health, thinking he might drop dead at any time. They were certain he was worrying so much that the stress of it all might kill him.

“But he said, ‘I’m not worrying at all.’ He had relaxed faith!

“That situation had put me in a certain amount of panic. I was so concerned about what was happening and what would come of it. Yet Mr. Armstrong was in Tucson, not worrying at all.

“This was not just any prophet. This was the Elijah who restored all things! And he wasn’t worried. What a wonderful way to live: to be powerfully attacked and to be so relaxed and filled with the faith of God.

“Do you know when Mr. Armstrong stopped worrying? It was in 1977, when he died momentarily! He had no pulse for several minutes. If somebody hadn’t revived him, he would have been buried within two or three days. Before that time, I worried, he said. But after that, I have not worried because I know God is going to work it out.

“God had actually prepared him for what would happen soon after—this legal attack! He just knew by then that he couldn’t take on the state of California without the power of God.

“Mr. Armstrong worried some before that time. Then he died! Then he was brought back to life—and he didn’t worry anymore! That’s dramatic growth!”

There are so many scriptures telling us how reliable God is in dealing with our problems. Read Psalm 91, which tells us we need not fear terror, arrows that fly by day, pestilence—many of the curses we face today. Rather, God says He will send angels to keep us in all our ways (verse 11). He can deal with our stresses, whether it’s that paper you’re writing for school or this next issue of True Education I’m sending to the printer. We do the work—but we place our worries on Him.