HOPE OVER ANXIETY

“BE ANXIOUS for NOTHING, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God’ – Philippians 4:6

God’s Word empowers us with HOPE OVER ANXIETY: “BE ANXIOUS for NOTHING, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phi. 4:6-7). God will not demand from what there’s no provision of Grace for. The result: the wonderful, genuine, and precious blessing of Peace that “transcends all understanding.” In Christ, Hope trumps Anxiety! Our Lord Himself instructs: “...Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (Mt. 6:31).

Anxiety or worry divides and distracts the soul. It diverts us from present duty to weary calculations of how to meet conditions that may never arrive. It’s the habit of crossing bridges before we reach them. The French philosopher Montaigne said, “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” Those who spend precious time worrying about what might happen, carry negative baggage that weighs them down, saps their energy, and leaves them ineffective. Anxiety is linked more to the future, as depression is to the past. Depression is the past superimposed on the present. Anxiety is the advance interest one pays on troubles that seldom come.

Our Lord Jesus reveals the Worthlessness of Worry (Mt.6:25-34). Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give one something to do but it won’t get one anywhere! The word WORRY is derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to strangle or choke.” The stranglehold of worry keeps one from enjoying a life of contentment and peace. Worry gives a small thing a big shallow, which creates problems, not just in the soul and spirit, but in the body. If we are walking in worry, we are not walking in faith. All our fret and worry are caused by calculating without God. When we worry, we’re saying, “God can’t.” We can and must conquer this “God can’t” disease!

Anxiety should be far from every Believer in Christ. It must never hold us bound. We have the Almighty Go as our Father. He loves us as He loves His Eternal Son. His complete delight is to continually care for us in all circumstances. We can heed His Word, which commands us to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God! “IN EVERYTHING” infers even the smallest matters of life and seemingly trivial things. We can live all day long in intimate communion with our Heavenly Father, our Loving Jesus, and precious Holy Spirit, speaking to Him about any trials, concerns, or difficulties in personal, family or professional life.

Hope enables us to engage in “Prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.” Even with limited material possessions, we can be thankful that God has saved us, and given us His Living Word, His Spirit, and the most precious Gift of all – His Son: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us ALL THINGS?” (Rom.8:32). People of Hope are rarely victims of anxiety. Nothing can disappoint us in this life when this living Hope burns brightly in our hearts. We can keep Hope Alive, deeply penetrating everything that it touches in our lives, so that the radiance of Christ’s Joy and Peace will continually shine in and through us.

We keep Hope Alive by abiding in God’s Living Word (Heb.4:12). The moment the Word seeps into anxious souls, Hope begins to rise! His Word enlivens and strengthens sapped souls. Meditating on just a verse of scripture or singing a Word-based psalm or refrain of praise will lift sagging souls and buoy the tired hearts with Hope. Anxiety bows to Peace. Beloved, what’s making you anxious? Cast “ALL your CARE upon” your Creator, Redeemer, and Lord (1Pet.5:7). Receive HOPE that overcomes anxiety, wins over worry, and dissolves perplexities.