What are you worried about today?

• My Christmas tree isn’t up, I haven’t decorated a bit!
• That gift I ordered isn’t coming, now what will I do?
• I was just told I have cancer.
• My loved one died and I can’t get over that.
• The car is on its last legs and I can’t afford another.
• These headaches won’t go away.
• My job is over.
• What health choices should I make?

Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi, telling them to not worry about ANYTHING. As in, NOTHING should be on our worry radar.

Mind you, we’re to be mindful of the issues we face. Paul was not suggesting we become ostriches or Pollyannas. We are definitely to take note of the situations we’re in.

See the difference?

If we don’t take note of the issues, we can’t do the next part of the verse, which is to take them to God. The words of the verse translate to sharing our specific requests with God.

Instead of “Bless me, Lord!” Or “Heal me, Lord!” Or “Help us, Lord!” we need to be telling Him exactly the blessing we would like to see, healing in the specific place we need, the particular help we’re seeking. To do this, we have to take a deep look into what is going on in us and around us.

Weird case in point: I was having my nails done yesterday, and as the filing was being done, my tender cuticles were feeling pain. I quickly and quietly spoke to God, asking Him to toughen my cuticles to feel no pain and to not tear or rip. (I’m tender, ya know…) I’m so excited to say that God did just that. The pain was gone almost instantaneously! In the past, I’ve experienced instances where a nick happened. Not yesterday.

It was a weird but specific request. God heard it the second it formed in my heart, and acted on it the moment I lifted it to Him.

Worry would have caused me to be jumpy, likely causing problems. I would have felt crabby through the time I talked with this lady across the table.

It’s often said that worry takes our focus off God
and places it on the situation.
That’s true. And our heart’s focus is our god.
Are we worshipping the Father
or the diagnosis, grief, pain, fear,
or expectations of others?

We get to choose. And the second part of this verse is the solution to worry. Give it over to God, then thank Him for all He has done.

ANYTHING.
EVERYTHING.
ALL.

The next time your mind shifts to the issues at hand, or the what-ifs that come, remind yourself that you’re not going to give way to ANY of the unease. You’re going to pray about EVERYTHING that has to do with what’s going on around you. You’re going to thank God for ALL He has done — even if that means going back to the things you read about in scripture until you see the things He has done in your life.

Getting into this practice will help in the immediate and train you for the coming. As you practice, your worry response will lessen and your prayer and gratitude response will grow.

Shall we start today?

Coffee, Bible, Journal.

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