A Devotional for Tues. 11/26/24 by Justus Coppinger
RECEIVE and REFLECT: We live in a world where we are almost expected to be anxious. In fact, when we share that we aren’t anxious or stressed, it’s almost like we’re written off because we aren’t “important enough” or don’t have enough responsibility to warrant being stressed.
It’s as if there’s a societal expectation for us to live in a constant state of anxiety, not because any of us actually enjoy being anxious, but because that’s the way we’ve made the world to be. But what does God’s Word tell us about this?
Is there a different way we can experience life?
The answer is yes …
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. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
Now, when this verse says, “Don’t worry,” it’s not saying that we are bad people for experiencing stress and anxiety. What it is saying is that we no longer need to carry these cumbersome burdens that weigh us down and make us feel alone.
It is not so much about never experiencing moments that make us anxious. In fact, asking us to do that would be unfair. It is more so about what we do in those moments when we experience anxiety.
When we are anxious, do we turn to our habits that try to hide or suppress how we’re feeling, pretending that they don’t exist? Or, on the fl ip side, do we make a calamity out of small things and “catastrophize” those moments, making them out to be something far greater than they are?
What is a healthy response to our battle with anxiety, and how can we find peace in those situations? This scripture has two main ideas about what we should pray for: first, we make our worries and requests known to God. Second, we give thanks for all God has already done.
As followers of Jesus, I don’t think it’s very hard for us to remember to ask God for diff erent things, but I do think it’s hard for us to remember to thank God for what we already have and what He has already done. In my life, being able to say “thank you” to God has, in many ways, counteracted my worries and what I think I need because I realize that God has been providing me with what I’ve needed all along.
Again, Jesus does not promise that following Him will be a cakewalk where we’ll never be stressed and life will always be easy. Rather, Jesus promises to be with us and wants us to trust Him in the midst of those moments. This peace found in Jesus, as the verse says, will guard our hearts so we don’t have to stick to the societal status quo that expects us to be fi lled with worry. We can, instead, allow Jesus to fi ll us with Thanksgiving!
RESPOND: Continue keeping your gratitude journal!
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