Exchanging Anxieties for Peace

Do not be anxious about anything…

Yeah, we’ve all heard those words before. Do not be anxious. Totally impossible, right? God, do you have any idea the kind of day I’ve had? A litany of struggles and challenges and unanswered questions come to mind, right?

Do not be anxious about anything…

 (without Me)…

 in every situation,… by prayer… present your requests to God. – Phil. 4:6

Oh. You see, it is not God’s plan that you go through life feeling alone. In sorrows and in joys, God wants to be there for you. He doesn’t want you handling everything on your own. You were created to be with God. It is a lie that God only wants to see you and hear from you when you are full of praise and thanksgiving.  It is His desire to have you share everything with Him. Isn’t that what this verse, His Word, says? In every situation, go talk to God. And His Word comes with a promise:

 And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (v.7)

The Living Bible translates it like this:

 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

I can’t explain how that happens. I can just testify that it does happen. I pray about some stressful concern and it’s like a poison oozes out and God fills that space up with some kind of assurance that it’s going to somehow work out. He’s powerful like that. Not even my most humongous, overwhelming fear stops Him from reaching me with some kind of comforting word. Sometimes it’s a piece of a scripture verse that I somehow recall. Sometimes it’s a line of a song being played in the background. Sometimes a thought expressed in a devotional or a book I am reading. But He reaches me. He knows how to calm me down and grant me rest. It’s amazing to me that He can do that without even changing my circumstances. He expands my trust in Him. And by His mercy and grace, if I get anxious again, I can go talk to Him again. And He will calm me down again. Even if it’s about the same thing. God is like that. Ready for you to rest in Him. Every time you turn to Him, you can receive. Trade your anxious thoughts for His peace right now.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. – Phil. 4:6-7 (THE MSG)