By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
The temptation to worry threatens to disrupt my peace of mind every day.
When my husband leaves to get on a plane for work, the thought crosses my mind: What if this is the last time I see him?
With our son’s impending college graduation around the corner, I wonder: What if he can’t find a job in his field of study?
When our son-in-law asked for our daughter’s hand in marriage, I wondered if he would love and cherish our baby girl as much as we did.
What about you? What causes anxious thoughts to surface in your mind? Is it your children? Your husband? Your health? Your finances? Maybe it’s an uncertain future. Regardless of what triggers your unrest, God offers a perfect antidote for that which keeps you up at night—prayer.
Instead of being a worrier, God calls us to be a warrior—the kind who fights on bended knees.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Like a soldier heading into battle, we must confront our anxious thoughts head on. But our arsenal looks very different from that of the worlds. Our greatest line of defense comes through prayer and the truth of God’s Word.
In humble submission, with our face to the ground, we assume a posture of surrender, placing the battle in the hands of the Almighty.
“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)
Are anxious thoughts weighing you down?
You don’t have to fight this battle anymore. Surrender your concern into the hands of the One who is All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and Ever-Present.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:25-27)
Never fear! The One who created this world can certainly bear the weight of its burdens on his shoulders.