Do not be anxious about anything ...
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7 NLT
I once heard that fear is the opposite of faith. Along those same thought lines, I wonder if worry is the opposite of trust? Worry feels a bit different than fear for some but I suspect it has the same roots. An old friend once told me that it was her right to worry - I think some feel that worry is a sign that they care. I can relate - even my prayers are sometimes an expression of worry. Yet this is not the sort of prayer that Paul speaks to here.
In these verses we read of a type of prayer that rejoices, releases and gives thanks. It is the sort of intercession that, as James says it, casts our worries on the Lord and leaves them there. Such prayers are answered with a peace which transcends all understanding because such a peace can only be experienced when we pray trusting God with all of our heart. In contrast, when we pray with our heads we often are simply expressing our worries and not our trust.
Lord, knowing you are near we rejoice and give thanks. We cast our cares on you knowing how much you care for us.
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Not being anxious is the hardest lesson for me to learn. It's getting better, but I still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteI get that Fred. I do think that peace like patience is often something that comes with our time on planet earth.
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