Don’t worry about anything; pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience the peace of God, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
It’s hard to imagine that the Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this piece of friendly advice.
If anyone had the right to be worried, Paul surely did. However, instead of worrying, Paul sent a letter of encouragement to the church at Philippi. Paul’s clarity of mind is the kind that comes only from hard suffering.
It’s nearly impossible to quantify how much of our day is wasted in worry. We worry about little things and big things alike. Worry seems justified on certain occasions, like when deployment orders arrive, or when our child is diagnosed with cancer, or when our spouse files for divorce, or when we live in the uncertainty of unemployment. However, Paul advises us not to worry, not even about the big things. Do not worry about anything.
Paul doesn’t tell us to pretend that we don’t have anything to worry about; he says don’t worry about anything.
I don’t know about you, but if I were to stop worrying right now I’d have a lot of free time on my hands. So, my next question would be, what should I do with all of that free time? Paul says, “Pray.”
Pray about what? Pray about EVERYTHING; not just the stuff that worries me, or the stuff that I need or want. Paul says pray about everything.
That’s a lot of praying. What if I am not very good at praying? What if I haven’t prayed for a very long time? What if I don't use the right words? What if I’ve never said a prayer before in my life?
In that case, Paul has some great advice to get us started: he instructs us to tell God our needs. I’m sure you have some needs. I do. Paul tells us to bring our needs to God. And when we do, we are also instructed to thank God for what he has already done.
When I prepare a prayer list, I usually fold a sheet of paper in half so that I have two columns, one for “prayer” and one for “praise.” Most days, the prayer column fills up faster than the praise column. That’s not because I have more needs than God can meet; that's because I find it much easier to think of things that I require God’s help with, over things that He has already provided. It's so much easier to notice all of the things that I perceive to be missing from my life, instead of noticing -- and being grateful -- for things that I already have.
But it is good discipline to think of things to be thankful about. The Apostle Paul recognized the importance of this discipline to a healthy prayer life, and he instructed the Philippians to offer up praise and thanks, as well as petitions.
Could life really be so simple? When I use my energy for prayer and thanksgiving instead of wasting it on needless worry, God promises to infuse my life with a peace that surpasses all understanding. This is not a fleeting peace. It is a restful, unshakable, enduring, rejuvenating, uplifting, positive peace. So, if I can have the lasting peace of Christ, why would I ever choose to worry about anything?
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