Do not be anxious

We, my dear man and I, are so grateful for this scripture, which we began to memorize through the Rooted program at our home church. There’s much about our lives over which we have reason to be concerned.

• health
• a stretched budget
• cost of groceries and gasoline
• family spread from sea to shining sea
• aging parents and siblings
• grandchildren
• work/career stresses
• influencers in politics and social media

I imagine you can say amen, and add to this list by double. We live in a hurting, and broken world full of trouble. And yet the freedom and comfort God offers us for a trade is incalculable.

He says don’t be anxious. Lift those things to me. And if you can’t lift it, leave it. Drop it. He will carry our health. He will carry your finances. He will carry my parents, siblings, and grandchildren. He will carry the election, and our country. He will carry whatever concern you and I have because He is able and we are not.

What is it that troubles your heart? What weight burdens your shoulders? What fear is eating your insides and creating health issues? What relationship seems impossible to reconcile?

Tell Jesus. Name it out loud, and tell Him it’s too much. You don’t even have to lift it to Him. Just leave it. Take your hands off. He’s got it. So let go.

He’s not incapable. God already knows what to do and how to handle your situation but He needs you to make some space. Trust Him. And this is where we struggle.

I believe most of us tell God often about the things that hurt us, make us sick, break our hearts, drive us to drink, etc. But most of us want control and really aren’t willing to trust God with our thing, our hurt,and our problems. If we want to take the next step to freedom, we have to say out loud,

“Lord Jesus, You know what I want for _______________, but I am willing to submit today. Not my will, but Your will be done in this situation. Please come and do what only You can do, and I praise You now in advance.”

I promise you that you will receive peace. You will feel lighter. You might need to pray every five minutes, releasing your grip and your will again and again until trusting God becomes natural. Your situation might not change, but you will change. You will be a beacon in a storm that is bright and peaceful. A refuge. People will ask you what changed. And you can give your testimony of God’s grace.

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

If you think it’s impossible, let’s have a coffee. If you think I can’t understand, let’s talk. If you think your situation is different, it probably is, but God is the same over every situation. He is Sovereign.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and shine,

Lisa

Pondering with Jesus:

1. Read God’s words more than people’s words. Read this scripture passage in several Bible translations (see below).

2. Ask God to open your eyes to His heart and His message for you. What does God want you to know?

3. Journal the words that are highlighted from the Scripture.

4. Write your list of hard, painful people and issues that create anxiety. Next to each one write “Lord, this is yours. She/He is yours. It is yours.” Visualize placing it, him or her on Gods’s altar and stepping away. He receives your gift of sacrifice.

5. And pray, “Lord, your will be done.”

Scripture reading in three translations:

“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬