Paul the Apostle wrote, ‘Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.’ (Philippians 4:6) With grace, we thank God and because we belong to Jesus, we are blessed. One of the gifts of the blessing is peace, which reassures us because we have allowed Jesus into our lives.
The opposite of peace is worry. It’s like being on a rollercoaster ride at Southend that never slows down, and doesn’t let you rest, and always makes you nervous, keeps your thought life busy and you always come back to where you started. Worry wears you out. That’s why we must learn to take captive every thought and take it prisoner. Corrie Ten Boom, a notable Dutch woman who helped Jews escape from the Nazis, said, ‘Take bad thoughts, dump them in the sea, and put a sign there that reads, “No Fishing”’.
In brain studies by neurologists, they have discovered that we create about 30,000 thoughts per day. The uncontrolled thought life is the perfect environment for needless worry to survive. The overload of thoughts can be due to overwork and/or not trusting God to take control of the problems in our lives. Lots of people spend needless time and energy trying to control their lives and just end up tired.
When we pray and ask for help from the Spirit, we experience His faithfulness and love. It takes courage to take the first real step into faith, trusting in Him completely. It is made easy by the feelings of love, serenity, and peace we get when God speaks to us. Next time you feel anxious say, ‘I trust You, Jesus. There is no need for me to worry.’
The more faith-based thoughts you have, the more Jesus will be in your life. Choose faith over fear. Go in peace. Amen.