Philippians 4:6-8
Do NOT Worry. Do Pray.
To not worry does not mean that we should suppress, discount, or deny the things which concern us. What this verse is telling us is that we should take these things to God and talk to Him about them. It is not wrong or sinful to have concerns that grab our attention. However, if we allow them to take control of our thoughts and emotions then it is a problem.
When we withhold our worries from God we are assuming that we are
not important enough for Him to care. When we expose our worries to God by talking to Him about them they begin to lose their power over us. When we exchange our worries for thanksgiving the power shifts to us as we begin to share God’s perspective and trust Him to help us. We may not have the answers we feel we need or want right away, but we can have the peace that passes understanding as we cease to depend on our own understanding.
What is the default state of your mind, and how is it keeping you from experiencing God’s peace in your circumstances? For example, is it?
* Worse case scenario
* Fear of pain or failure
* Criticism or judgment, blame shifting
* Avoidance and denial
* Obsessing and being consumed by concerns
Once we give our concerns to God, accept His peace and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, we must fix our minds on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and worthy of praise, thereby exchanging false arguments and lies for the truth which sets us free from our “faulty settings.” God has equipped us with a powerful ability to focus and it requires some effort on our part to engage this power to keep our thoughts in agreement with His. Ask the Father to help you become aware of your “natural” default settings and seek His truth to counter them. Surrendering our worries to God and bringing our thoughts captive to Christ is vital on the journey to changing our behavior and becoming more like Him. Remember, controlling our thought and giving thanks are key to our victory.