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"Why should I worry about anything?"
This question may not seem reasonable to most people. Of course you should worry over things in this life. Bills need to be paid, kids need to be fed, work is stressful and life is quite simply just a hard time for many people.
Perhaps you are reading these words and relating with all of these areas at the same time.
Perhaps you are finding the idea of existing without ever worrying about anything an impossibility for you. You are correct, it is absolutely and categorically impossible for you to make yourself worry free and without anxiety. There are plenty of things that would lock our mind in an anxious storm of thoughts if we allowed them to become our focus.
However, we have been given a command and a promise in scripture that will lead us all out of this anxiety and worry and into the abiding peace that surpasses all understanding!
The command to not worry and the promise of peace are found in the same place in the Holy Scripture -- we find them both in Philippians 4:6-7: "6: Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Notice in the above words there is not a suggestion not to worry or even an encouragement, it is a command not to worry about anything. We not only can become people who do not worry about anything, but we are in fact commanded to be those people who do not worry about anything. When we surrender everything to the Lord God Almighty in prayer, we give up our ability to be worried or anxious about the things in this world!
When we are obedient to God in His command to surrender there is never a worry that cannot be soothed by God. He is not intimidated by our worries or our struggles. There is not a single thing we will ever face in this life that God has not conquered and overcome.
I pray that every person who is reading these words today will take a moment right now to simply pray to God and surrender all of your worries and troubles, and find that peace of God that surpasses all understanding will then guard your hearts and minds in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Find peace fellow followers of the way!
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Pastor Matt Kinley of First Church of Christ, Lock Haven.