Do not be anxious about anything…. (Phil. 4:6)
A friend of mine once told me he was the “poster child” for anxiety. I feel that way myself on occasion. There are certainly plenty of reasons to be anxious in our world. Anxiety is a form of fear. It is a fear of what might come. Specifically, what might come that is bad. It is the opposite of hope, which is the expectation that something good is going to happen. I find myself fighting anxiety often these days.
In the original Greek text of this verse, Paul is actually saying, “Stop being anxious.” He is referring to a state the Philippians were already experiencing. It’s good to know that even in biblical times, anxiety was a problem, even among people of faith.
This message from Paul gives an antidote: “pray…and present”. Sometimes I find simply praying the Jesus Prayer (see the last post) repeatedly when anxious brings a calm that is “beyond comprehension”; i.e., it makes no sense. But I would rather have peace that makes no sense than anxiety that is totally rational.
In prayer we are to present our requests to God. There is a sense in the language of “presenting” of letting go and giving it to God. Often easier said than done. But when we pull it off, we can experience peace. Paul paints a word picture here where God’s peace, that is beyond comprehension, is like a sentinel that stands guard over our hearts (the seat of emotion) and minds (the seat of our intellect).
Are you experiencing anxiety today? Try praying and presenting.