Philippians 4: 6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
“Do not be anxious about anything”. At first glance, that’s almost laughable. It would seem impossible to be able to accomplish this. The cares and concerns of this world seem so good at pressing in and consuming our thoughts before we even know what has happened. One thing I have learned is that regardless of my good intentions, not being anxious, is not something I can just choose to do. Without the rest of this verse, I’m sure it is not possible at all. The scripture admonishes us to turn “everything” over to God. We’ve all heard the “Let Go, Let God” phrase. I suppose it summarizes this verse pretty well. However, there are a few other words in this verse that may be easier ignored, than obeyed.
The admonition is to present everything “with thanksgiving” when we bring them to God. Really? I am supposed to be thankful for the things in my life that bring me anxiety? Again, the fleshly instinct is to laugh. Okay God (muttered sarcastically), I am thankful that my daughter has been fighting brain cancer for the last 4-1/2 years. I am thankful that my husband has prostate cancer. I am thankful that the day I got back to work after going with them both for treatment this summer, that my job of 14 years ended with a layoff. I am thankful that our house has not yet sold. I am thankful the economy has taken a slump and jobs are hard to come by. Etc. Etc. Really? I am supposed to be thankful for all of that? Is it not enough to just bring those things to God and trust Him to work it for our good? Be thankful? As Lori would say, “It’s a puzzlement”. Why God? Why must we be thankful?
I only know for myself, that being thankful at first, is really a gut level deliberate decision. It is not based on a feeling of thankfulness, but a decision to do so strictly because God says I should. Doing so is like taking another step toward God purely out of my desire to obey Him and desire to see what He is going to do in my circumstances. Naturally, it would be easier to be thankful after I’ve seen how He worked it out. But, that is not what this verse tells us. It says that when we bring our petitions, we should bring them with thanksgiving. God knows us so well. He knows that it is only as we deliberately yield our wills, our dreams, our preconceived ideas and expectations to Him, can He then have the freedom to grow in us. Rejoicing, praising, being thankful; I believe these are choices we make to consciously yield to God. In doing so, we open ourselves up to the promise found in verse 7.
7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
These scriptures have been put to the test by our family, again and again over the last few years. I can tell you that this promise is as true as any in the Bible. There is nothing natural about being in the midst of a crisis and be able to be at peace. It can’t be explained to anyone who has not experienced it. It does transcend all understanding. But, I believe it is rooted in our experiences with trusting God and His faithfulness as He has proven Himself trustworthy in our lives. Not because He gives us what we want or fixes all our problems as we desire. But because we have seen that He is there each day, walking us through and we see His hand working along the way.
He “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I’ve seen and felt the truth of this promise many times over. We know that “guard”ing is exactly what is needed when fear, anxiety, etc attack through a phone call, a doctor’s report, a middle of the night awakening, etc. When I have not been able to do much more than just whisper “Jesus, help me.” He does. His guard goes up around my heart and mind and I am able to go back to sleep or settle down and move forward. It is that guard that allows our hearts and minds to not be overwhelmed and to feel that peace that trancends all understanding.
Whatever our circumstances, God has promised He is there. We can be thankful because He has not left us. We cannot see our tomorrows, but we know that He can and if we yield ourselves to Him, He will accomplish what He has begun in us today…..and in our tomorrows.
I just had to take a moment to thank you. Thank you for taking the time to stop and write on this BLOG. To ponder your thoughts, hopes, fears…your heart, your knowings, your God and to write it down. The last few days have been a struggle and I felt like I was drowning on the inside- for reasons both known and unknown. It is a hard season of transition and my mind continues to try and wrap around things that I know I am really to be trusting God about without understanding.
Anyway, as I was trying to run from simply laying down and handing it all back to God, I decided to work on a Christmas gift for my sister. I am creating a note card for her to be able to use when she has a word of encouragement to share with those God has put in her life (she is so amazing when she sits to write- God’s love just pours through her). The words I got in my head this morning for her note card were ” You can bloom wherever you are planted because you trust the one who planted you.”
I began to wonder what God had to say about this concept and so I started to search around. (I have found research online can be a nice mind-numbing escape- one in which God often shows up on the scene so I will run to Him instead of away from Him…anyway…) I was on Google and typed in Bloom Where you are Planted and scripture. I found, well, you…
I always say we live in an awesome day and age. Can you imagine telling someone 500 years ago, 100 years ago, 50 years ago, 10 years ago…that you could have one God revelation, and because of one moment of obedience where you sat and entered that revelation into a journal entry online God could continue to use and re-use that revelation that He brought through you to people you will never know or meet, to people at midnight, in different states or countries, to one or to hundreds…. One entry.
You could “fail” from then on, always wanting to write more or keep going daily but never quite getting there….but none of what you “wanted to do more” matters to that one who read what you did write.
What matters is what I read. Today. And how God already used your words to puncture through hurt and disappointments and doubt, and how He will continue to use those words now planted within my spirit. I know your personal stories and words were not intended for me, but today I got planted on your BLOG and because I trust the one who planted me, I can Bloom where I am planted. Really, it is Him who will do the blooming in me anyway, Thank God for That!, and I just wanted you to know that you were a part of my lifeline today. God used you, a stranger that I happen to know lives in Texas :- ), to reach out across the states and remind me that I DO trust the one who planted me right where I am. And if things feel cold, and dark and confusing right now, I still need to trust the one who planted me, read the manual from my maker, and know that whatever the stage or season, He is faithful to complete in me the work He has begun. He has planted me- He will help me bloom. When it is time. When I am ready. He will send me what I need to make the growth begin again.Thank you for being a part of what He sent me today. I pray that God continues to reveal himself to you, that when He sends you what you need you will have the joy of recognizing it and feeling so loved by your father. I pray that you will be blessed 100 fold for what you sowed into my life through your words. Thank you!