Living Without Worry

 Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

We live in a culture inundated with anxiety and fear, where people make a habit of worrying because it provides a false sense of control. But Christians don’t have to give in to these feelings, as we have a Savior who has promised us His peace, “which surpasses all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7). Thankfully, there are a couple of practices we can employ to guard against worry.

First, we must be careful about what we allow to fill our mind—listening to the many purveyors of doom and gloom can easily lead to fear, anxiety, or panic. If you become agitated after hearing the news, listening to podcasts, or reading social media, it’s time to take a break. Instead, do what Paul encourages in today’s passage: Think about whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8).

Another source of worry is materialism. The more we have, the more we fret about what might happen to our possessions and financial security. But Jesus warned against storing up treasure on earth (Matthew 6:19-20). Instead, we should seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness and trust Him to provide for our needs (Matthew 6:33). If we’ll put Him first, worry won’t gain a foothold in our lives.