Faith and Anxiety.
Philippians 4:6-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do you know the “R” word? The word we all despise. Relax. Just relax. Forget about it. Don’t worry about it. Are you kidding? That is the worst advice of all time. I hate it when someone says, don’t worry about it. Great! I’ll just flip that switch and all will be well.
Well, that’s exactly what this verse is saying. Do not be anxious about anything. Nothing. Not that person at work that is bad mouthing you, not your child’s struggle to keep up, nothing. Fortunately we are not left hanging, there are great instructions. We need to pray and petition to God. How do you do this? By being grateful. Go to Him with gratitude for what you already have. For what you already know. For what isn’t making you anxious.
By taking your gratitude to God, you are praising Him and at the same time, realigning your focus. You are focusing on the good. Maybe it is a good situation that a few weeks ago, you had anxiety over. Maybe you are praising him for the accomplishment of one child and remembering He can do incredible work to turn lives around.
After you bring your gratitudes to God, bring your requests. What are those things keeping you up? Be detailed. Talk about the small stuff. You can’t have a relationship with the most high and not talk about the small stuff. Relationships can’t work by only sharing highlights. Tell him what is on your heart. Ask for guidance and understanding.
Finally, we are told that the peace of God will guard your hearts and your mind. The peace of God. I can’t even imagine how peaceful the peace of God is. How incredibly relaxed you could be by the peace of God.
So the next time you feel that sudden jerk of fear. That spark of question and the lump in your gut, pray. Simply pray. When you don’t know what to pray, think of all that you have to be grateful for. It will lead to peace that you can’t understand.
