… in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
You most likely are familiar with this verse in Philippians 4:6. If so, you know that there is a part I left out. The first words of the verse say, “Be anxious for nothing, but …” The reason I didn’t include them is that they often shut down any recognition of what the rest of the verse says. We assume it means that if we are anxious, we have done something wrong. Paul had many anxious moments in life that weren’t prompted by sins or mistakes. He was not saying that.
What he was saying is that anxiety doesn’t mean we have done something wrong, but it creates a moment where we need to do something right. In the Greek, Paul’s language for writing, the word for “anxious” can also be translated “distracted.” Anxiety over our situations can distract us, divert our focus from God, His plans and power, and lead us in a way that truly will compromise our lives and future.
Paul tells us in every situation that provokes anxiety, don’t just stand there – do something positive, powerful, and productive.
Begin by intentionally choosing to not dwell in anxiety. Declare to yourself and others that you believe God is always good, always faithful, and has a plan you will trust even if you don’t see it right now.
Talk to God about the things making you anxious. Don’t just worry and call it prayer. That’s what we often do. We worry through our prayers and increase our anxiety. Paul tells us to talk to God and honestly tell Him our desires, our fears, and what we would like to see happen – and do it with a thankful heart. We tell God and ourselves that He knows best, and we surrender our will to His wisdom and love. When we believe that God knows best, we can pray with gratitude before we even know how He will answer.
Whenever anxiety arises, we can decide to not wallow in it, but choose to believe that while I am anxious, God is composed, calm, and working on it. As we choose to do that, Paul describes in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We can quit worrying about the future and receive the peace of God.
- Anxiety is my cue to consciously embrace God’s will and ways.