“Don’t be anxious about anything”
Daily Scripture
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
As we write this, it’s possible that we will not know yet on this November 6 morning who won the election. Even if we do, it’s likely that about half of the voters will be upset. “[Today’s passage] could sound like empty sentimentality if not for the fact that Paul is writing from prison…. When we bring the things that cause us stress into prayer, we put ourselves and our troubles inside a much bigger picture: the story of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, a love that is stronger than anything that can hurt us or those we love.” *
- Paul wrote that God’s peace “exceeds all understanding.” You may ask, “How can I be at peace when ________ has happened?” Here’s how: “Paul… emphasizes an active dependence on the benevolent God who hears our cries and takes care of us, if not always the way we expect, always in love.” ** How can you put yourself and your worries, real as they are, inside that bigger picture of God’s love for you in Jesus Christ, stronger than anything that can hurt you or those you love?
- Do you ever wish Paul had said, “Bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks—and God will make sure they come out just the way you want”? What made the apostle, in a dungeon not sure if he was facing execution, value the gift of God’s peace more even than a “not guilty” verdict and freedom? How can bringing up all of your requests to God open you to receive the peace of God that exceeds all understanding?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for living your life on this earth, even when it led to a cross, inside the much bigger picture of God’s love. Teach me every day how to put my trust in your peace and love that exceeds all understanding. Amen.
GPS Insights
Gwyn Thomas
Gwyn Thomas serves in donor relations at Resurrection. A Boston native. she moved to Kansas City in 2020. Her husband Blake is a Congregational Care Pastor at Resurrection Leawood and a provisional elder in the UMC. Her favorite pastimes include pottery, hiking, frisbee, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her daughter and their large orange cat, Tuna.
There is a grounding technique in the mental health world known as the “five senses” technique. It’s meant to help you calm your nervous system and interrupt fight or flight mode. If you’re finding yourself in a state of anxiousness this morning, let’s ground ourselves together:
5 | Name 5 things you can see
4 | Name 4 things you can hear
3 | Name 3 things you can feel
2 | Name 2 things you can smell
1 | Name 1 thing you can taste
Today, consider what feels rhythmic and comfortable to you. In anxious times, I tend to look toward routine to find a sense of calm. I ask myself, what do I have control over? For example, I know I will wake up in the morning and prepare breakfast for my daughter. My husband and I will pray over breakfast and encourage her to say “amen,” one of her new words she just learned how to say (it’s as cute as it sounds). I know we will start the morning marathon of getting a toddler and ourselves out the door on time. I know my commute to work and can drive it on autopilot, and so on. As I think about my typical day, there are of course unknowns, but it feels much easier to face it when I mentally walk through the moments I can control.
It takes courage to face the world’s uncertainty every day, not just the day after an election. God promises to help us find a peace that’s beyond understanding. We are rooted in the knowledge that our God is greater than any of our day’s unknowns. Today, I am choosing to focus on what I can control, with God’s help.
Resource: 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: How to use this simple technique for coping with anxiety — Calm Blog.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Cynthia M. Campbell, sidebar article “Stress” in The CEB Women’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016, p. 1492.
** NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (pp. 10400-10401). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
