“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6,7).

God is anxious to impress upon Christians not to worry, but to trust in Him. High-tension living makes worrying a prevalent factor in our day. It has been calculated that seventy percent of our worries consist of things that will never happen or could not be changed by all the worry in the world. Twenty-two percent are petty worries or needless health worries, while eight percent can qualify as legitimate worries. Constant worry is disastrous. Doctors recognize that worry can cause high blood pressure, heart trouble, ulcers, general ill health, and premature aging.

The Savior left us a criterion to evaluate our worrying when He said, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with . . . (the) cares of this life” (Luke 21:34). If we are naturally people who worry, why not reverse our attitudes and trust God implicitly? Let us acknowledge our worry to God and trust Him to give us victory.

We can go to the throne of grace in heaven and leave life’s burdens there. Our text exhorts us “to be (anxious) for nothing.” God knows about all the pressures thrust upon the Christian by the world, the flesh, and the devil. In Matthew 6:25, the emphasis is “Take no thought. . . .” How many times Christians have found this verse a veritable rock of the soul. It is not foolish advice not to worry; it is the counsel of God! Instead of worry, we need to dwell on our blessings and in everything give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18). Let us commit our thoughts and ways toward victorious living and receive “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” JLG