October 17th, 2024
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Today we turn to what I'm sure is a familiar verse to most of us and might even be considered one of the key passages in the Bible on the affliction of anxiety. The phenomenon of anxiousness is a state in which we are affected not only mentally but also physically. It can move beyond a generic worrying and into a place in which our bodies might even have very real physical reactions. When we begin to encounter this frequently in our lives, it takes us to a deeply troubling state as Christians. We begin to question our own faith in the Lord, we begin to doubt His promises to us and likely find ourselves in a place we never thought we would be.
I want to assure us today that the Bible is never dismissive nor ignorant about the difficult realities we will face as believers. In fact, when you read the scriptures it is quite apparent that following God might actually bring more pressure and trials into our lives. However, there is unending comfort in knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God sees, God knows and God cares about every single part of our lives. Our passage will remind us of this gracious consolation we find in Him.
Verse 6 states that we should not to be anxious about anything. At face value, we might be immediately thrown off by such a statement because I am sure we all feel that there are certain things we are truly anxious about. However, Paul isn't bypassing our feelings and the real circumstances of life. He is essentially preaching to us a truth that supersedes even the most paralyzing of thoughts. He's saying that because there is a God who meticulously and intimately governs all of human existence, there is no good reason to dwell permanently in a state of anxiousness. We may put it another way. Although, it is common and expected to experience the feelings of anxiety, we dare not start to put our faith and belief in it as true. For example, if I am anxious about the future, there will be a temptation to start believing that everything will not turn out for the good. The moment we start to believe the assumptions we have created, we are putting our faith and trust in something other than God. In this manner, we would be dramatically undercutting the infinite power and promises of God to worship a state of worry that might not even be true.
Now you can begin to see why Paul implores us not to entertain the foggy road of anxious living. It seeks to throw you into the valley of panic and despair and rids you of all the triumphant hope we have in Jesus Christ. The enemy will often use worry and anxiety to destroy your personal relationship with God. He might even whisper the words "Did God really promise to take care of you?" or "Are you sure God even cares about what you're going through?" He will keep going until you have no motivation to reach out to God in sincere prayer. This is precisely why Paul's solution to the anxious soul is to pray. He specifies this in every way so that we get the point. Our prayers should be offered in every situation and not only sometimes when we feel it. Our prayers should become petitions by which we repeatedly plead with God by asking and seeking His face. And lastly, our prayers should be prayed with thanksgiving so that we recall to mind all of the many blessings we have rather than dwelling on what we don't have.
Even Jesus understood that the human heart is prone to worshipping the idol of worry. He knew would be quick to think about all of the many things we are yet to possess and slow at appreciating the countless gifts God has already given. He taught us to not be anxious about what we do not have. If God feeds the birds and clothes the grass of the fields, how much more will He take care of His beloved children? (Matthew 6:25-30). The dominating truth needed for the anxious mind, is to realize that you will never be enough on your own. You will never be able to provide for yourself like God can. You will never be able to comfort yourself like God can. And you will never have any peace in of yourself apart from the beautiful presence of Jesus. To throw yourself under the mighty arms of God isn't to ignore anxiety, it is the only true medication and consolation to our worried-filled hearts. Do not run away from God but cast your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Instead of dwelling on what we lack, our verse finishes by pushing us toward the perfect peace of God. In the Bible, the word "peace" means "wholeness" which is the exact opposite of lack and need. To have God's peace is to move beyond human understanding and to possess the wholeness of God. Nothing is truly missing and nothing is out of place because the peace of God fills every gap. Everything is spinning and working exactly in accordance with God's plans for us as we submit to Him. If the King is still seated on the throne and is decisively governing my life, I truly have nothing to fear and nothing to be anxious about. My feelings may come and go, but His abiding peace remains forever in our hearts through Christ.