Some Words about Worrying

One of my very favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:6-7: "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." 

It's way too easy to become anxious. I find myself worrying about lots of things, from whether or not I'll pass my driving test to what I should do about college. When I catch myself worrying, I almost always bring it right to God (it's taken awhile to get there, though). I ask for help to not worry and to not try in my own strength, but for a long time I stuck with only the "prayer and supplication" part of the verse--asking God for what I needed or wanted. A few months ago, I 'rediscovered' this verse, and the word "thanksgiving" stood out with me. It was almost as if God was telling me, "You're forgetting something." So from that point on, I started thanking God for what he's already done for me and for his example of faithfulness in the Bible whenever I asked for his help. I don't always remember, of course. It can be hard to be really thankful when you're in a tough place. But I've found that when I do entrust my worries to God and remind myself of what he's done before, I do experience his peace. It's amazing how God can make you feel so peaceful in the midst of a ridiculously crazy life. But I know it's possible, because I've felt it before. 

Now, the end of the verse says that God's peace "will guard your hearts and your minds". The way I understand it is, when we tell God our requests with thanksgiving, he gives us peace. Then, when we feel that peace, we are less likely to be anxious. Then, with God's help, we can really "not be anxious about anything". Yes, we'll probably fail. I know I have. But I keep coming back to God with thanksgiving and requests, because it helps. His peace does prevent worry. And who likes worrying?