Philippians 4:6,7- …do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let Your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
When I was a kid, my mom was in a 4 person vocal ensemble. They were amazing! Their harmonies blended so perfectly that they sounded like one person singing 4 notes at the same time. I remember listening to them from our living room as they would rehearse in an adjacent room. One of my favorites that they did was a very familiar hymn- What A Friend We Have In Jesus. The lyrics go like this:
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer…
When I am worried about anything, my mind is focused on what I can or cannot do to help the situation. If you're like me, when you get in this mindset, you tend to think about the worst-case scenario instead of best-case; then, you begin to try to take control of things out of fear, or you throw up your hands in despair and have a mini pity party…
The greek word for "anxious" in this context means 'to be troubled with cares'… and you don't have to look very far to see people that are troubled with cares. I need a constant reminder of who God is, and what that means in terms of what I need to worry about on a day to day basis.
Yesterday, I was brought back to this very familiar passage of scripture; and I was reminded of the truth therein. The mind that is troubled with many cares is a mind that either has forgotten who God says He is, or a mind that has very recently been overwhelmed with cares- either way, it is a mind that needs to heed the encouragement of this verse.
Let me break this verse down in the way that the Holy Spirit explained it to me yesterday: 'Do not allow yourself to be worried about the things of this world. Do not try to carry them in your own strength. Come to Me in prayer. When you thank Me, you confess My Truth in the midst of your cares; and when you begin to confess my Truth, you begin to see things through My eyes. Then you will have peace that might not make sense in the light of your situation. You do not need to see the answers. You just need to see Me.'
To quote another one of my favorite worship songs:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
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