Philippians 4:6-7
If you haven’t seen the movie Inside Out 2, you need to see it! The storyline is about the war in our minds between anxiety and joy. The “little people” in Riley's head fight for her attention as she battles with her emotions. The movie does an excellent job of portraying how awful anxiety is for people. In the end, we see that joy wins and anxiety may come and go, but it CANNOT have a front seat in our minds. It seems everyone has anxiety these days. Mental health has become a hot topic in our culture. Like never before, we have an epidemic of anxiety in all ages. Some people have social anxiety, some performance anxiety, others anticipatory anxiety; the list goes on. We see Jesus cared about mental health thousands of years ago, and that it’s nothing new.
“Do not be anxious about anything”. It’s kind of like that person who says, “Just don’t worry about it,” and you think oh, wow, I never thought of that, thanks! As someone who suffers from anxiety, that's really how the beginning of that verse can feel, yet the verse continues. “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.” Do you see the equation? IF you are anxious, pray, AND the peace of God WILL guard your hearts and minds. There's no question about it. It’s a statement, and a promise. Not only are we to pray, but we are to be thankful in all situations. I don’t know what brings you anxiety, but you need to pray on it. You need to bring your anxieties to the Lord. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. He wants to restore your peace. Remember, though, it may not be instant! Even in the dark times, we can rejoice and be glad. We each have things we can be thankful for when we really stop to think about it. Our struggle is not permanent, but God's peace is always available. When we talk to God, it can almost feel like our burdens are falling right off our backs. I don’t know about you, but I want that peace to guard my heart and my mind because my mind can lie to me, and my feelings aren’t facts. God's word is truth. Period.
The Bible can be such a help to us as we face anxiety. There have been many passages along with this one that have brought me peace and comfort. I also believe therapy and medications are needed for some of us, and that's ok too! I sympathize with anyone going through anxiety; I don’t wish it on anyone. I am in awe that we have a God who cares so much for us that He gave us verses we can meditate on when anxiety strikes. It’s also an encouragement to know Jesus felt everything we feel today. He can sympathize with us! We are not alone. I know it’s hard. We may need to get to a place where we just surrender and say, “God, I understand, but I don’t understand”. I’ll be honest with you friend, that’s where I’m at right now too, but God is faithful. I’m excited to see what he will do in our lives as we live out this truth. Shalom, peace be with you!
If you haven’t seen the movie Inside Out 2, you need to see it! The storyline is about the war in our minds between anxiety and joy. The “little people” in Riley's head fight for her attention as she battles with her emotions. The movie does an excellent job of portraying how awful anxiety is for people. In the end, we see that joy wins and anxiety may come and go, but it CANNOT have a front seat in our minds. It seems everyone has anxiety these days. Mental health has become a hot topic in our culture. Like never before, we have an epidemic of anxiety in all ages. Some people have social anxiety, some performance anxiety, others anticipatory anxiety; the list goes on. We see Jesus cared about mental health thousands of years ago, and that it’s nothing new.
“Do not be anxious about anything”. It’s kind of like that person who says, “Just don’t worry about it,” and you think oh, wow, I never thought of that, thanks! As someone who suffers from anxiety, that's really how the beginning of that verse can feel, yet the verse continues. “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.” Do you see the equation? IF you are anxious, pray, AND the peace of God WILL guard your hearts and minds. There's no question about it. It’s a statement, and a promise. Not only are we to pray, but we are to be thankful in all situations. I don’t know what brings you anxiety, but you need to pray on it. You need to bring your anxieties to the Lord. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. He wants to restore your peace. Remember, though, it may not be instant! Even in the dark times, we can rejoice and be glad. We each have things we can be thankful for when we really stop to think about it. Our struggle is not permanent, but God's peace is always available. When we talk to God, it can almost feel like our burdens are falling right off our backs. I don’t know about you, but I want that peace to guard my heart and my mind because my mind can lie to me, and my feelings aren’t facts. God's word is truth. Period.
The Bible can be such a help to us as we face anxiety. There have been many passages along with this one that have brought me peace and comfort. I also believe therapy and medications are needed for some of us, and that's ok too! I sympathize with anyone going through anxiety; I don’t wish it on anyone. I am in awe that we have a God who cares so much for us that He gave us verses we can meditate on when anxiety strikes. It’s also an encouragement to know Jesus felt everything we feel today. He can sympathize with us! We are not alone. I know it’s hard. We may need to get to a place where we just surrender and say, “God, I understand, but I don’t understand”. I’ll be honest with you friend, that’s where I’m at right now too, but God is faithful. I’m excited to see what he will do in our lives as we live out this truth. Shalom, peace be with you!
Posted in Devotional