Overcoming Anxiety

What’s your favourite verse in the Bible?  I have a few, if I’m honest and you hear about them regularly here.

Well, recently I read a post that YouBible sent out showing that the verse that most people interacted with in 2024 was this.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

I don’t think that’s what I would have expected but at the same time it doesn’t surprise me either.  We live in stressful times and people have a variety of issues that they face that can feel like “more than they can manage.”  What’s your set of issues looked like during the past few weeks and months?

Isn’t it amazing that God calls us to not worry or be anxious about ANYTHING. ANYTHING, really?  It almost seems unrealistic doesn’t it?

And yet, you and I have experienced over and over again how stopping, when we are feeling stressed, and going over the situation with God, turning it over to Him and asking for His protection, care, and provision, really does settle our hearts.

If you’re like me you still want to see what the solution is going to be before it’s easy to let the stress go but I’m learning and in many situations I’m much better at doing that than I was years ago. 

So, Loving God, You care about us and about everything we are facing now as well as what’s ahead of us that we don’t even know. 

We pause, in these moments, to thank You for the many many times and ways You have helped us, steadied us, and set us on a good path forward.

These are busy days but You can handle that.  Help us to make a choice to slow down, to consult You, to receive peace and rest from You, and to follow the guidance You give us.  Oh how good things will be if we just will.  Help us to not just know to do but to actually put this into practice. Amen

Let me end today with this familiar and so comforting invitation from Jesus to you and I:

Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.

Matthew 11:28-29