Dear First Pres,
It's a battle. The fight for peace is necessary ... at least, for me. On Sunday, I preached on one of my favorite passages in the Bible, Philippians 4:4-9.
Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
I preached that wonderful passage on Sunday morning, and by Monday afternoon I was feeling a deep sense of anxiety. I'm not sure what it was about. There were plenty of things that I could be anxious about. Maybe, it was all of it combined. Nonetheless, the anxiety was coming on strong. "How can I be feeling so anxious? I just preached about this!" That's what I was thinking. But then, I chose to do something to fight for peace. I sat down with my prayer journal and I started writing. I mulled the words of Philippians 4:4-9. I wrote a list of things I was thankful to God for doing in my life. I wrote down all the things that I was worried about ... even some that I hadn't realized were bothering me until I sat down for that exercise. And then I presented those things to the Lord while remembering His love for me and faithfulness to me. I repented for my lack of trust in Him. And I submitted myself again to His will.
No, all those worry areas did not instantly resolve themselves. No, every bit of anxiety didn't absolutely and forever leave my mind. But, I knew that God was with me. The knot in my stomach was gone. And my heart was full of thanksgiving for the work of God in my life. Praise be to Him.
Beloved, what is it that is causing you anxiety today? Have you presented it to the Lord with thanksgiving? Have you taken some time to think about all that God has done in your life through Jesus? He has a peace for us that is beyond our limitations. He has rest for our souls through relationship with Christ. Fight for it! The Lord is near.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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