Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)
This is some of the best advice you will ever encounter. Essentially, Paul is instructing us to respond to the struggles of life by praying instead of worrying. Doing so, he writes, will bring us the peace we seek.
Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…
Paul wrote these words while chained to a Roman guard, under house arrest. The fact that he could be at peace under those circumstances should give you hope. If he could be peaceful, so can you. The peace offered by Christ isn’t dependent on the absence of conflict. To be honest, great suffering often intensifies the peace offered by the Lord. I know it sounds like a paradox, but it is true. I’ve been there, and I know that Paul’s advice works. As the old adage goes, “You’ll never know until you try.” Do it today. The only thing you have to lose is your anxiety.
This concept of praying instead of worrying may be simple to understand, but not always easy to put into practice. That’s why we’re working on it every day for eight weeks. I can tell you from personal experience that the more you do it, the easier it gets. If you’re worried about something today, give it a try. We’ll talk more about it tomorrow.
