Anxiety and worry are part of many of our everyday lives. Yet, we are told not to be anxious or worry about anything. Is it possible?
Do not be anxious about anything, but 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.
Yesterday, we discussed our need to TRUST God in everything, then our trust will, in time, translate into a sense of peace, even in the midst of insanity. I encouraged you to lay everything at Jesus’ feet, to let go of whatever it is that is causing you to be anxious and, in letting God handle it, get going.
Worry and anxiety are a double-headed coin. No matter how much you flip it, the results are the same. You are robbed of your peace and joy.
Anxiety – yet we are told ‘Do not be anxious’
So, let’s focus on Paul’s message to the Philippians and how we can use it to restore our peace. He tells them to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation to present our request to God. Essentially he is telling us to pray, laying everything at Jesus’ feet. Once we do that, once we let go and let God, we will know peace. A peace that escapes our ability to understand it. We will have an internal compass that points us to God, his mercy, grace, provision, protection, wisdom and guidance. We will learn how to TRUST God under all circumstances, even in the face of insurmountable odds when surrounded by craziness and insanity.
Anxiety and Trust
So, how do we learn to TRUST? It is a one step at a time process. We don’t just drop all our defenses and blindly trust. It is not in our nature. Trust must be earned. God understands that. He built us that way. So, lay down one item that you cannot manage today. Lay it at Jesus’ feet. Surrender it to Him and let Him take care of it. Then, wait and see. DO NOT PICK IT UP AGAIN!
Let GO and Get GOING!
Then, open your eyes, your heart, and your mind, asking God to show you the way. Ask Him to provide the solution. He may totally and miraculously take care of the problem, or more than likely, through the work of the Holy Spirit, as you yield to him, he will show you the way. He will guide you and teach you as you work with him. That is how you learn to trust God, one step at a time. It will become second nature to you. He will be your first stop in everything.
Your double-sided coin will change from worry and anxiety to peace and joy.
Personal Reflection:
What is one thing that you have struggled with in your own strength and are not succeeding?
Lay it at Jesus’s feet. It is a simple prayer. Lord, you know how I’ve struggled with _______________. I know I cannot do it anymore. Please help me with it. I give it over to you, laying it at your feet. I trust you to help me with it. Show me what to do. I pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.
In your journal, capture how God answered and when. It will become the first step in your journey of TRUST and growing your FAITH.
Blessings,
Jana
PS. I always used to say Let Go and Let God. Although I think at times it is still appropriate, a friend recently pointed out that it should be Let Go and Get Going. That is, don’t sit around waiting for God to drop whatever it is in your lap. Let go and go and do. God will use you when you are working.