Active Theology

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

“Did I say the right thing?”

“Did I lead well in that area?”

“Am I making a difference?”

These are just a few of the questions that can run through my mind on any given day.

My name is Ben Field and I’m the president of the Overthinkers Club. To be honest, we’re not completely satisfied with the club name and are considering changing it. We overthink about our overthinking.

Maybe you’re like me and you can tend to be anxious at times. There are many areas in life that can be a source of anxiety. Maybe your marriage isn’t where you’d like it to be, and it’s causing you stress. Maybe you were laid off from your job and still haven’t found a new one yet.

We all have situations in life that cause us stress and anxiousness, but we don’t have to let our anxiety control us.

The Apostle Paul tells us to be anxious about nothing.

We tend to put qualifiers on what Paul said. He couldn’t possibly mean for us to be anxious about nothing! There are so many things worthy of our worry!

What about financial concerns? Be anxious for nothing.

What about finding a future spouse? Be anxious for nothing.

What about my health issues? Be anxious for nothing.

What about my math test coming up? Be anxious for nothing.

God’s Word doesn’t just tell us to be anxious for nothing; it also tells us how to do it.

Instead of worrying, we are commanded to pray. When an anxious thought comes into your mind, take it to God in prayer. As you pray, present your requests to Him with thankfulness. We come to God with our questions, our concerns, and our stressful situations. And we thank God for His love and faithfulness in our lives.

Think about how much better your life would be if you prayed about all the things you worry about.

Your relationship with God would grow, your mental health would improve, and the peace of God would mark your life.

Paul tells us what to do- be anxious for nothing.

He tells us how to do it- pray about your worries with a thankful heart.

Now he tells us the outcome of our prayers- the peace of God.

When we present our requests to God with thankful hearts, God promises to give us a peace that the world can’t comprehend. It’s the kind of peace that doesn’t make sense. That’s what God wants for your life!

God wants us to trade our worries for His peace. He promises supernatural peace to those who seek Him in prayer. That means that the peace of Christ is just a prayer away.

Living a worry-free life is remarkably simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It takes discipline to pray each day about your worries. It takes focus to continually thank God for His goodness when you’re feeling stretched thin.

As we start a brand-new week, take your worries to God in prayer and thanksgiving, be faithful where God has placed you, and thank God for the peace that He promises to give you.

Pray: Father, thank you for the privilege to come to You in prayer. Help us to continually come to You with our worries. Thank You for the love and grace You give us each day. And thank You for the promise of Your peace which surpasses understanding. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Song: Follow You by Ben Rector

Ben is the Associate Pastor at Lawrence Heights Christian Church, Casey’s husband, and Baker’s dad.