God Speaking

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

(1 Peter 5: 7)

Worry and anxiety can attack all of us and brings a feeling of despair and it always impacts our trusting the Heavenly Father as we grapple with struggling to somehow turn it around by our own strength. We neglect to seek his help as we flounder in hopelessness. I was reading a Christian blog and came across an astounding phrase that changed my mind about worry 

Change worry into worship

Paul gives this wonderful advice to the early church 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4: 6) 

When we allow worry to sweep over us the first thing that suffers is our prayer time with the Heavenly Father and Paul tells us nothing is too small to bring to him and he echoes the phrase, go to him and praise him and remember all the incredible things you are thankful for, being grateful can change our deepest thoughts. 

We can also assist friends who are burdened with worry, listen to their worries, pray with them, and be sympathetic without dismissing what they are saying, but use kind words. 

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, bit a kind word lifts him up.” (Proverbs 12: 25) 

Jesus himself gives a detailed message on why we do not have to worry and uses creation to remind us, the birds of the air, know the Heavenly Father provides their food, flowers do not work hard and worry about how to be colorful, and the grass of the fields don’t worry about being green, they know they are in the hands of the Father.  (Matthew 6: 25 – 34)

Walking is advised for all of us to exercise muscles, but after listening to Jesus’ words, we can use our daily walks to be a wonderful time to be with the Holy Spirit, not just breathe deeply but listen to the birds and remember how God takes care of their needs, look closely at the flowers, admire their beautiful colours, designed by God, watch the gentle breeze move the tufts of green grass, and worry and anxiety will drift away with that breeze. 

The promises of Jesus can always be trusted and one of the most beautiful ones is found in John’s gospel where he promises to leave to his disciples and to all of us who follow him, his perfect peace, but like any promise we must accept it, how foolish we are to let worry and anxiety  block that perfect peace. 

“Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14: 27)