Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
Paul’s word to the church in Philippi is to not be anxious about anything. When you think about it, what does a Christian have to be anxious about? We have the promises of God, the provision of God and even the grace of God. What could we possibly be concerned about? Yet, anxiety seems to be a common issue for most people. I know that I struggle with it.
Anxiety comes from fear. We are afraid of what might come. We are afraid that we are not in control. The truth is that we are not in control! The Book of Proverbs says that “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” We make plans and work towards goals, but it is God whose purpose prevails. There is nothing wrong with making plans and working hard, but we need to remember that God is in control. We can take peace of heart and mind that Jesus has a plan for us and it is His will that will come to fruition.
I’ve learned from many of the people older than me at Bethel that as we spend more time on this earth we learn to trust and rely on God. We begin to see that God has a track record of taking care of us throughout our life. Let’s pray for God to help us to trust in Him and cure us of our anxieties.
Dear Lord, you tell us to cast all our anxieties on you, because you care for us.
We need your help to do that. Life is complicated and we have a lot on our plate, Lord.
Give us the peace that comes from knowing that you are in control. Thank you for loving us. Amen.