Do Not Be Anxious
Philippians 4:5-7 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The Lord would have us to be unafraid. The Lord would have us not be anxious. He wants us to place our worries, fears, and anxieties on Him for He cares for us. We should strive to lift up the burdens of our hearts and make these supplications known to Him along with thanksgiving for the provisions He has provided for us.
Then the apostle Paul writes “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If we are trying to control everything and worry about everything, then are we leaving room for the peace of God? If we are forever concerned about what people think of us, anxious about what people are up to, or fearful that the worst what will happen next, then are we trusting God with our lives?
According to a study, participants listed all of the things that they were worried about over a two week period. 85% of their worries ended up actually being positive and not negative1. Let us give people the benefit of the doubt, don’t assume things are negatively intended towards us, don’t worry about what will happen next if someone does this or that, don’t stress about things that are unlikely to ever happen. The Lord knows all things and because of that, we can rely on Him. Let us not lean on our own understanding which is often faulty, anxious, and misguided. We can lift up our requests to Him. When we let go of worry, we can let God’s peace guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You. By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D.