Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
When we are anxious, we are usually fearful about the harm some actual or possible calamity might cause. Anxiety builds the more we look at the problem.
Therefore, don’t keep looking at the problem. Look to Christ in prayer to calm your fears. This is the first step toward peace of mind.
Unfortunately, panic sometimes takes over and we run to humanistic solutions seeking peace. When we do that, we sabotage the balm God has provided for us.
Consider the verse above. The very first thing to notice is the scope of this promise. We are to be anxious for nothing. Have you ever cried out to God, “Why is this happening?” Really you don’t need to know why, unless you think God is trying to teach you a lesson. If you think that, James says, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3). In that case, it is appropriate to ask for wisdom (James 1:5). Of course this is also prayer. Therefore, no matter what you are facing, faithful prayer is the cure for anxiety.
That is the promise in the subject passage. The peace of God which surpasses all comprehension. That is right. Humanly speaking, God will give you peace when it makes no sense to have peace. There is a qualifier.
You must be thankful; thankful to a God Who loves you and is concerned for your every need, thankful to a God that knows your stress and can identify with your pain, thankful to a God Who’s providence has put you into this situation, and thankful for a God Who will eventually welcome you into His heavenly kingdom.
Remember, He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20). Amen.
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