Anxious for Nothing
It has become very evident to me lately that the world we live in gives us a lot to worry about, viruses, tornados, wars, stock markets and political change just to name a few. So, I would like to take a moment to remind you of God’s cure for worry, found in Philippians 4:6-7.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
That’s right worry about nothing and pray about everything. It sounds simple, but it is hard to do. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. It’s easy to let worry creep in and steal our joy and it doesn’t matter who you are. For me, keeping Christ in the center of my life helps me to more easily move things from my worry list to my prayer list. A few of the ways I keep Him in the center are…
- Trust in God, not in Me!
We live in a world where trust must be earned and seems to be in short supply. But Solomon, the famous king who wrote Proverbs, knew that trust is exactly where we must start: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Most of us have faced disappointments, which have taught us that we can only depend upon ourselves. But living the life God has called us to means unlearning that lesson. Instead, we’re meant to rest in God’s understanding. - Surrender to God daily!
Surrendering to God is something that we must do every day. It begins with our thoughts and then our every action.
Here’s the key, tell Him! Every day, we must cry out to Him and let Him know that we need His help. Proverbs 3:6 says, “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight”
When we pray, we admit that His ways are higher than ours. We show that we’re leaving our troubles and burdens and dreams in His capable hands. In fact, the Bible promises that when we reach out to Him in prayer, He hears us: “Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” Psalm 55:17 - Filter Everything through God’s Word!
Our cars need filters to run properly, Christians need filters as well. We need to filter what we say, we must filter what we see, but most important we must filter what we think.
And God describes this filter in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
Applying this filter, this verse, will cause you to stand firm. This is a verse which will help you win battles with temptation, overcome depression, stop worrying, stop being fearful, and stop losing spiritual battles. And this is a truth which will help you develop a Christ-honoring mind, appreciate the blessings of this world and anticipate the glories of the next.
Remember, the secret to having God's peace guard your heart, "worry about nothing and pray about everything".