“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
What are you anxious about today? Just a quick glance at the news shows us how much there is to cause anxiety in our world. But let’s come a little closer to home. Sometimes we have little, tiny anxieties in our lives. And sometimes our anxieties threaten to overwhelm us. Even if, by some miracle, there’s nothing in your life causing anxiety, I’m guessing we all know people in anxiety-inducing situations. And yet scripture tells us to not be anxious. In fact, it says to not be anxious about anything. That means there is not one single thing or person you should be worrying about. Nope, not even that situation. No, not that person, either. We’re not to worry about anything.
How is that even possible? How can we possibly keep from worrying? Well, this verse gives us the recipe for a worry-free life. First is prayer. And not just an infrequent rote prayer. God wants to have a real conversation with you. He wants to hear about what’s on your heart and mind. He wants to hear all of it. Pour out to Him the concerns you have, the anger you try to hide, the disappointment you’ve faced. Even if God is the main one you’re disappointed in. Tell Him that, too. He wants you to talk to Him about everything. After you’ve unburdened your heart and mind, tell Him your want list. Ask Him to work out complicated details, or seemingly impossible situations. Lay all of that before Him. Notice I didn’t say to pocket the list after showing it to Him. Lay those worries down. Give them to Him and leave them there.
If you’re like me, the hardest part is leaving them there. How in the world do we do that? He even answers that question. With thanksgiving. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to worry when you’re being thankful? If you want to be able to lay your concerns and anxieties at the feet of Jesus – and leave them there, learn to develop an attitude of continual thanksgiving. Of course, it won’t start out as continual. You’ll give thanks for one or two things, then go right back to worrying. But try it again. The next time you may be able to give thanks for five things before the worry bug bites. Then maybe seven. Before you know it, you’ll realize that you’ve gone several hours without worrying. Then maybe a whole day. That’s when you know you’re well on the way to living a life free from anxiety!