“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.”
Philippians 4:6-7
More and more in today’s world, we hear these terms — anxiety, stress, panic attacks, overwhelmed, pressure, tension, fear, struggling, nervous, uneasy, falling apart.
As a born-again believer, these words do not have to describe you. We have a free pass to unbelievable peace from God! Why would we ever entertain such health-breaking thoughts? Of course, we are fallen humans, prone to try to fix things on our own. We are also forgetful. We allow the voice of fear to penetrate our calm. Ever since Covid-19 hit, a flurry of panicked (and many times, fake) news articles, opinions, and voices have sought entrance into our minds and hearts, attacking our faith, our theology, and even our good sense.
One night, struggling to shut my brain down in order to sleep, I realized that my thoughts were unproductive and leading me toward the path of unrest and fear. These two verses from Philippians came to mind, and I focused on them phrase by phrase. Four wonderful, life-changing truths emerged from my meditation.
1.DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING
That’s a command! If God commands something, He expects that we obey it. That means it’s not impossible to tell yourself, “Quit thinking about this!” Consider what is causing you to feel anxious. Then view it in light of God being present and available to help you. Sometimes, pinpointing the cause of your anxiety can lead you to making a few, simple decisions to remove the entire cause of your fear. For instance, sometimes it’s a health concern that causes me worry. When I realize how much it is obviously bothering me, I can decide to go have it checked out at the doctor’s office. Once I do that and face whatever is wrong, that matter can no longer affect me the same way.
2. PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING
No matter what you’re facing, you CAN find things for which to be thankful! It’s amazing! However, if you don’t make a point of searching for those things, you can easily miss them. Being thankful puts your heart in a better position to view life the way God sees it. Are you having a difficulty in a relationship? How can you thank God for the other person? If nothing else, our trials cause us to turn to God. We can be grateful for that!
3. LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD
Sounds simple, right? But I have noticed that when my mind is whirling with fear and angst, many times my prayers are just complaints or observations, not requests. When I am forced to voice an actual request, it helps me pin down the problem. It cuts out the mushy mumblings and moanings, and boils it down to this: What do I really want God to do in this situation? When God answers my requests (though not always as I envisioned!), I can understand that it was Him who did it. That’s one more cause to thank Him.
4. THE PEACE OF GOD IS AVAILABLE TO ME
When my heart is full of anxiety, concern, worry, and stress, it has no room for God’s peace. But it’s my choice! I can boot out these unwelcome thoughts and accept God’s counter-intuitive peace. How can a person have peace in the midst of upheaval? Is that possible? Why do we assume that bad news, a sudden death, or a huge change of plans require me to fall apart? If you know Jesus as your personal Savior, you can always turn immediately to Him for strength and peace. Christ in you shines so much more brilliantly when you have peace during a time of real difficulty.
Memorize these two verses from Philippians if you haven’t already. Then you can draw from them the next time life’s curveball hits you! Amidst all the turmoil of today’s fear and anxiety, you will stand out like the light Jesus wants you to be. You’ll be much happier, too! And a whole lot less stressed.
