“Just don’t worry about it.”
How many times has someone said that to you when your circumstances truly warranted a little bit of worry time? If you’re anything like me, you probably thought, “Yeah, right. Easier said than done.”
By the way, it was probably a man who said it. My engineer husband seems to be able to simply tell himself not to feel a certain way and then follow his own advice. Good for him, but unfortunately he expects me to possess the same testosterone-based super power.
If you’re more like me and not able to turn off the worry quite so easily, hang in there. The Bible gives us an “anti-anxiety” prescription.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
Like Christians today, the believers in Philippi struggled with anxiety and worry. In this passage of Scripture, Paul gives them a 4-step anxiety cure.
This may take some practice. You may have to apply and then re-apply. But God has promised results. When we… choose joy, practice gratitude, talk to God, and discipline our thoughts…
His peace will overpower our anxiety. His peace will guard our hearts and minds. We may not understand how it works, but we can benefit from His miraculous provision!
Have you found this “prescription” to be effective in your own life?
Originally posted on Kathy Howard.