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13th August 2024
TuesdayReflection
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Kim Cash Tate reminds us
author of several books
You Can Be Anxious About Nothing
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The familiar words from Paul's letter to the Philippians present something of a paradox - we love them adorned on posters, on the one hand, and find them seemingly impossible to put into practice, on the other.
If we're honest, we may tell ourselves that it simply can't mean 'anything'.
Not when we suffer trials that are altogether devastating.
Surely God knows we can't control the anxious thoughts that bombard.
Alternatively, we tell ourselves that "do not be anxious about anything" is for the spiritually mature saint, a verse to aspire to.
And since we're not there yet, we can dismiss this direct command for a while.
Moreover, we're careful not to burden others with it.
If a fellow believer is battling anxious thoughts, we think it insensitive to bring this verse to bear on the situation.
Better to show sympathy than to risk sounding trite.
But God has not given us an impossible standard or one to be attained only by spiritual growth.
He's telling us what's possible by his Spirit.
He knows the crippling effects of anxiety, and he's telling us we needn't submit to its tyranny.
He's blessing us with divine direction as to how to receive supernatural help.
Our God knows.
"Do not be anxious about anything" doesn't mean we will never feel anxious.
The verse is telling us what to do with it - give it to God.
It reads in its entirety:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Prayer redirects our attention from the all-consuming problem to our all-powerful God.
Before our thoughts can rehearse every hopeless scenario that could attend the problem, we intentionally set our minds on things above.
We're reminded that we have hope and help.
We're reminded that even this hardship is subject to the sovereignty of God, and that he remains in control.
And we pray against anxiety with thanksgiving because we know that God is good.
"Do not be anxious about anything" is also a call to spiritual warfare.
It's telling us to stay poised to reject every uprising of temptation.
When a hardship hits and our minds begin to spin out of control, a battle is being waged.
Galatians 5:17 is instructive:
The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Our flesh wants to be in control.
It bears the burden of the hardship and works to figure out how to handle it.
And when it determines that the hardship is beyond its capabilities - when we can't see a satisfactory solution - anxiety sets in.
This was the central issue when Moses, at God's direction, sent twelve men to spy out the land God had promised.
Ten of them couldn't shake their anxiety over the giants that currently resided in the land.
Only two of the spies - Joshua and Caleb - understood that the true battle was in their souls.
They implored the people to trust God and go forth, knowing that with him they would overcome.
These two men could be anxious for nothing because they believed God and walked by faith.
The verse which tells us, "do not be anxious about anything," is followed by this:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
This is such a powerful promise.
Such grace. When we look to the Lord in the midst of anxiety, his peace will guard our hearts and minds.
In other words, his peace will stand at the gates, refusing to allow anxious thoughts to enter.
But, you may say, I've prayed, and those thoughts keep coming.
Keep praying.
We stay ever clinging to our Saviour, mindful that apart from him we can do nothing.
We can't fight the battle without him.
But with him, no matter what anxious thoughts may come, his peace is our most powerful protection.
In Jesus, we are promised a never-ending supply of grace.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
My name is Kim,
and my 'Youtube' channel is an outgrowth of my love for Jesus and a desire to cling to Him, which has led to surprising twists and turns in my life.
I love the word of God, so you'll see studies on books of the Bible on this channel, as well as practical teaching in topical areas.
You'll also see those surprising twists and turns - two seasons of a web series plus soundtracks - which is God doing beyond what I could have ever imagined.
I'm an author of several books, including CLING: Choosing a Lifestyle of Intimacy with God and a Promises of God series of novels.
I'm also a wife of 26 years and mum to two young adults
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