“Don’t be anxious! Paul said there is nothing that should cause a child of God to worry.”
OK, did you just snort and say either out loud or inside yourself “SURE! Easy for you to say” in a sarcastic, unbelieving tone? Yep – me, too.
Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God Day by Day) made this statement but despite the great respect I have for him, it just makes me shake my head and think immediately of all the things that are stressing me out right now.
But in his patient way, he added a description of Paul’s world at the time. I check it out and think about our world and my circumstances:
–Paul’s nation was occupied by a foreign army
–Ruled by corrupt leaders
–Paul was writing from prison
–He was imprisoned under false accusations
–Separated from those he loved
–His motives were questioned and misrepresented
–Some people were trying to undermine the churches he had established
–Physical sufferings plagued him
–He was facing imminent execution
Okay – I get it. Yes, I feel grateful for the nation I live in as I think about the freedoms and basic structure (no foreign occupation at the moment, thank you), but I realize that I am often gripping the steering wheel, grumbling at the TV news, stressing over bills, so unhappy about a multitude of things I could rattle off.
But hey, my God is the same God Paul was referencing when he penned Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”
Paul is saying there will never be anything, any crisis, any situation so troubling that God can not bring peace in the midst of it! So says Blackaby. I have to chew on that. Of course, immediately upon reflecting who my God is, I know Paul is correct.
So what is the problem? God will not just take my problems away – zip! Off they go! Instead, as Blackaby assures me, He will carry the load for me. As Jesus promised in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
What is key is that word “peace”. He wants me to experience that, His peace. That is something that is beyond my comprehension. I do not understand how God can give me that in the midst of all the situations I face.
Thankfully, Blackaby says I don’t have to “understand” it in order to experience it. And yes, I know that is what God wants for me, but it just seems impossible.
So I look closer at the scripture wording – “be anxious for nothing” and I have to re-frame that. Clearly, this has to be based on how big my God is, not on anything about me. So many places in God’s word it is clearly communicated that nothing is too difficult, too troubling or too fearful for God – not Candy, but God. (see Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”)
So here is where the basic transfer has to take place. What is troubling, what is stressful, what has me all in turmoil needs to not stay in my bonnet. No matter how bad it is, God has said He can handle it. And yes, I do trust Him. So my transfer to Him has to be full and complete. And I can’t keep grabbing it back to chew and stew on it – I have to completely release and turn it over to Him. (I think that is what that “trust” word means when the Lord wants me to trust Him.)
That is my work – trust Him. I will have to thumb through my Bible again and look in the margins for where I placed a “P”. That stands for a Promise God has made. I started that practice years ago. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to just start turning the pages of my Bible and reading each “P” passage. I think I can even “feel” the blood pressure going down as each scripture is read.
Just writing this out has calmed me down – reminded me –brought me to gratefulness and thankfulness that I have a mighty and trustworthy God who loves me so much he sent His son on a rescue mission, my rescue, so that I can believe in Him and not perish but have eternal life. Big sigh of relief. And peace.
And may you have the same!
