“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, 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 minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV).
Have you ever found
yourself in a wave of anxiety? It can be a very scary feeling. Long term
anxiety can make you very ill. I went on-line and checked out the WebMD site
about worrying. If you are in a constant state of worry or anxiety it can cause
serious health issues such as:
- Suppression of the immune system
- Digestive disorders
- Muscle tension
- Short-term memory loss
- Premature coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
So you see worrying and being anxious can be a life
threatening thing. I do not know about you, but I have a tendency to worry. I
worry about other people too. I take on their burdens and have a tendency to
worry about their problems. I worry about things that might happen in the
future also, which is totally out of my control. So I did a search for the word
worry in the Bible. I wanted to see what Jesus had to say on the subject. Jesus
gave great advice about how to deal with worry. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life?” (Matthew 6:27 NIV). “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”
(Matthew 6:34 NIV). The whole section is well worth reading: Matthew 6:25-34.
As I pondered the worrying dilemma, I remembered
listening to Jill Briscoe, a Christian speaker and author, speak of worry. She
said that there are plenty of things to worry about, but she has dedicated a
portion of her morning to praying about her worries and giving them to God.
Then she did not think about it for the rest of the day. She trusted God to
help her and those people she was worried about. It is a good idea, especially
when we have no control in the situation. I am doing this now, and have greater
peace of mind. You see when you surrender all of your worries to the Lord, He
gives you peace to fill your heart instead of anxiety. This is a promise from
Jesus. “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” (John
14:27 NIV). Peace is wonderful when you are in a panic mode because of worry
and stress. All you have to do is give your worries to God and ask for Him to
fill you with His peace. I have felt this peace and can tell you that it is
real, but you must surrender your anxieties to Him.
Dear Lord,
It is very easy to get all caught up in worrying
and anxiety, some of which that are totally out of our control. We know that
you do not want us to worry, so we surrender our anxiety to you. We trust you
and know that you will give us strength and peace to carry on.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
