6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why do we get anxious? Because we feel alone, inadequate or out of control. As a result, we fear being overwhelmed by the challenges that we do (or may) face us.
These fears aren’t wholly bad. They alert us to danger. They highlight our need to depend on someone greater than ourselves, who will not be overwhelmed. That person is the God who sent his son Jesus to earth to reveal his compassion for us in our struggles. He also showed his love towards us when Jesus died for our sins, so we could be forgiven and have peace with God.
This God invites us to be reconciled with him through Jesus and bring all our anxieties to him in prayer. He calls us to thankfulness too, so we don’t become overly absorbed by worry and forget his continually kindness – blessings that we take for granted each day like life itself, forgiveness and daily bread! And when we come in thankfulness and prayer he promises peace: a peace of mind that defies logic at times. Why? Because he is for us and he has power over every person and possibility we fear. So God can prevent us being overwhelmed and we can steadily lay those anxieties to rest, as we keep entrusting them to him. Will you come to him?
