Be Not Anxious For Your Life
Philippians 4:6
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Have you ever been in a hurry, everything seemed out of whack, and nothing seemed to be working out? Have you been anxious for answers from God and didn’t think He was attentive to your needs? We don’t see in the Bible that Jesus was in a hurry about anything. He didn’t seem to be fear driven or excitement driven with anxious feelings. We have so many anxieties that come our way in day to day living, it is difficult to not go overboard in these two directions.
Two teachings about anxiety are found in the verse above and in Matthew 6:25-34. The reference in Matthew is from the Sermon on the Mount. There Jesus says to his hearers, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our life, and Paul adds for us to make our requests to God with thanksgiving.
Be Thankful And Lose The Anxious Feeling
When you are facing areas in your life that cause anxiety, thank your way to peace. One way to show thanksgiving is to reflect on all the things in your past that brought joy into your life. As you begin to go over the wonderful things in your past, you can thank God for those times. It is in God that we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)
The Bible tells us to cast all our cares upon the Lord for He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) It is a good thing to take the first step in giving your cares to God saying something like, “Father, I remember all these good times in my life, and I am thankful to you for them. I have anxiety about a problem I am having right now, and I may feel a bit overwhelmed, but I am making the choice to follow Your instructions and I cast this care over to you. I know that you care for me and want only the best for me. Thank You for solving these problems and anxieties in my life, and giving me Your special peace. You are the source of all my blessings.” (Matthew 6:30, Philippians 4:19) As you speak forth God’s instructions from His word, you have taken the right step in giving these anxiety causing problems to God.
Leave The Anxious Feeling With God
Once you have taken the first step, by giving your cares to God, patience comes into play next. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4) Tim Greenwood has a very good article about patience which I posted on our Links page.
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Rom 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Beloved, God is always true to His word. As you follow His instructions, casting your cares on Him and letting patience have its perfect work, you will find His peace calming your spirit. Have faith that by Gods Grace the answers are on the way from Him to calm your anxieties and show you solutions to your problems.
