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"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." Philippians 4:6-7 What kind of peace is Paul talking about? He is not talking about an absence of conflict, since conflict will unfortunately forever be a part of our lives on this Earth. Paul is talking about a lack of anxiety in the face of conflict. He is promising that if we truly give our concerns to God, then we will never have to worry about the outcome. We may have apprehension about physical or emotional suffering on the horizon; this is perfectly natural. Once again, let us turn to the example of Jesus in the Garden, (Matthew 26:38-39) and take note of the fact that Jesus is troubled by the knowledge of the suffering that He will soon endure, but not the outcome. Jesus knows beyond any doubt that His Father in Heaven is in charge and that victory over death is assured. We must follow Jesus' example and never forget that God's amazing plan for you will not be circumvented. How, then, can we possibly have anxiety when such a powerful, loving God is in charge, and what does it mean when we just can't stop worrying about how things are going to turn out? 1) You have not fully trusted God with the outcome.In the face of conflict, it's normal for us to say a quick prayer asking God for help, but this is not the same as lifting the problem up to God and trusting Him with it. Too often, we conclude our prayer and then immediately resume fretting about how we will ever resolve the situation. If the problem keeps you up at night or occupies your mind constantly, then you have not allowed God to truly be in charge. You are still trying to solve the problem. Only after we allow God to be in charge will the peace which Paul describes begin to flow into us. If we do not have that peace, then we are still trying to be in control. 2) You have not done your part to solve the problem.When trouble comes, what often seems like unease about the outcome is nothing more than guilt about our failure to do what must be done. We often know exactly what we must do, and our anxiety comes from our failure to act. The irony is that if we would simply do what we know must be done, our anxiety about the outcome would vanish. The example comes to mind of a man who has been cheating on his taxes and stays up nights worrying about when the IRS will finally knock on his door. He can pray to God all he wants that his indiscretion will not be found out, but God will be very reluctant to help until the man comes clean. His worry will not diminish until he finally calls the IRS, confesses what he has done and faces whatever consequences are to come. Immediately, the anxiety will vanish. The man now has a new dilemma wondering what his fate may be, but this is a new issue which he must lift up to God anew, one in which God will be much more inclined to intervene.Are you worried about getting poor grades in school? What you may really be feeling is guilt for your inadequate study habits. Your anxiety at not being able to find a job may actually be remorse at doing more TV watching than job searching. If you have concerns about your situation, search yourself and really examine how much is worry and how much is actually your guilty conscience. Do whatever you need to do in order to make things right, and then you can come before God with a right heart, truly ask Him to take control and implore Him to relieve your angst. If you do these things, His amazing peace will follow. This Week @ Detonate: Our dear Pastor Alfred Yeo will be sharing more on the Holy Spirit and its impact on our lives! So come and be edified in the Word and in knowledge, and be witnesses of the moving of His Spirit:) Cya all at 4.45pm! Labels: Impact Lives, peace  |
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