An Antidote to Worry
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
“With the state of our world today, it’s no wonder that so many people are suffering from anxiety; yet God doesn’t want us to live lives of worry. Our heavenly Father loves us, and no parent wants to see their children anxious. That’s why God tells us not to worry about anything. He says this, not because there aren’t things to be concerned about, but because he transcends those very real factors and situations that cause us to lose sleep at night. The fact is that worry doesn’t resolve anything, but it does have negative physical and emotional repercussions for us. This is one reason why the Bible says that worry is a sin, in the same way that lying and hatred and stealing are sins. So what is the antidote to worry? God tells us to take everything to him in prayer, which is a general word for communion with God. And he asks us to do it with petition. This means that although God knows all things, he wants us to tell him exactly what we are worried about. But our prayer can’t be just a laundry list of concerns. We have to mingle our petitions with thanksgiving for all of God’s blessings and for his proven track record in our lives. This glorifies God and increases our faith. The result? The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds, according to God’s Word. The phrase in the original Greek gives us the image of a troop of soldiers marching around the perimeter of our hearts and minds as we are supernaturally kept, not in our own peace, which is based on circumstances, but the peace of God that transcends the circumstances and situations of our lives. So we can either worry or have the peace of God. That’s the choice we have today.” – Pastor Cymbala
- Discuss how the state of the world today may be causing you worry and concern for yourself and for your loved ones.
- Why does God not want us to worry?
- Why is worry a sin?
- What is the antidote to worry?
- What happens when we bring our cares to God with thanksgiving in our hearts?