The Apostle Paul tells the believers in Philippi to be anxious about nothing (Philippians 4:6). I think many today would respond to the Apostle with a letter back saying “if it were only that easy!”. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults (over 19% of the population) are affected by anxiety disorders. That statistic reveals the depths of life’s struggles and uncertainties.
I haven’t seen the statistics for first century Philippi, so it’s only speculation as to the level of prevalence anxiety held in the part of the Church to which the Apostle wrote. Regardless, it was prevalent enough that he was intentional about giving instruction to the Body there in Philippi.
He says to be anxious about nothing, BUT.....BUT is one of my most favorite words in all of Scripture. You know something good is coming when we encounter this word. Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving....
The counter focus to anxiety is to take everything, everything in mind, in heart, in hope, in health, in fear, in life; take it to prayer and make your supplications before God. And then comes the eyebrow raising part, “with thanksgiving”. How often we lose sight of the wonderful gifts we enjoy and have been blessed with from above as we focus on the source of our anxiety. The Apostle says take the whole construct of anxiousness to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. This is how we make our requests known to God.
And here is the point for us today, we pour it all on God. God the Creator, God the Savior, God the Reveal-er of whom we are challenged to love with ALL our heart, and ALL our mind, and ALL our strength, and ALL our soul (Mark 12:30). Almighty God is ready and willing to receive it all.
Do we trust Almighty God to love us, protect us, heal us, restore us? Wherever you lack confidence, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be know to God. From this the Apostle proclaims a truth, as he says that by doing this “... the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).
A peace that comes upon you, that is beyond anything we can ever understand, will stand like soldiers around your thoughts and your very being, your heart and your mind, to comfort you in Christ Jesus. Do you know this peace? Have you experienced this peace? Anxiety has it’s root in the moment of unknown, and the moment of un-knowing.
When we are found in Christ Jesus, and turn to His Truth as we offer our prayers and supplications with thanksgiving, we acknowledge His future for us, that He has won for us, because of HIS unyielding love, and it is then we are guarded and set at peace. Archbishop William Temple gave us a prayer that we might recall now, and in moments of anxiousness: