Anxiety is driving with three kids in the car…
With every warning light illuminated on your dash…
Hoping you make it home before it dies…
So then, how can Paul expect us to “not be anxious?”
He says in Philippians 4:6, “do not be anxious about anything…” HOW?
There are so many things that can go wrong. Things I expect to go wrong and then things like my van that just seem to happen for no reason.
So, how can I not be anxious?
It’s the next part that helps us understand what Paul is saying.
“…but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Anxiety happens when we feel out of control i.e. we don’t know what is going to happen in a given situation.
Which is hilarious because we never really know what’s going to happen. Yes, we have routines and habits that give us an idea of what might happen but it all can change in an instant.
So, instead of worrying about things we can do nothing about, Paul tells us to give our problems to God through prayer.
By doing so we give up trying to control the situation and exercise faith that God will handle it.
Then something amazing happens; that anxiety leaves and you are filled with “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”