Christians and non-Christians alike battle with stress and anxiety. We Christians should be celebrating and rejoicing in Jesus daily, but we often find ourselves worried. What are we so worried about? We worry that our lives will not go on the way we want. We worry that we are building a mountain of debt from which we will never recover. We worry about our relationships. We worry that we're forgetting to do something or that something we have done will go terribly wrong. Today, let’s slow down, take a breather and consider these words from the Apostle Paul: 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9 New Living Translation) 

According to the National Institute of Health, America is the most anxious nation on earth, with more than 18% percent of adults suffering from significant anxiety disorders. Interestingly, in Mexico only 6% percent of adults have demonstrated significant anxiety issues. Why then are Christians as worried as everyone else? If we have been forgiven so much why are we still so worried? Some people, due to biological reasons, suffer from clinical depression. However, many people refuse to trust God to do what’s best for them. Why? Because we simply want to control our own lives. Most of us have learned that telling someone to stop worrying is not helpful. So in today’s passage, Paul gives us some practical steps in dealing with anxiety. First, he says to set aside time to pray about the things that are worrying us. Paul says to pray about everything and then goes further by giving us two steps for our prayers. He says, “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Don’t just tell God what you need---approach Him thankfully. Sometimes thanking God will help us to see the good things God has already done in our lives and that alone can help us. However, Paul doesn’t stop there. He gives us additional counsel: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This is so practical! Usually, when we are worrying and agitated, we are doing just the opposite of this. Think about God’s mercy, love and faithfulness. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise, like God Himself. Today, begin to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, meditating daily on God, thanking Him for who He is and the specific things He has already done in your life. And as you thank Him, the passage in Philippians says, “You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  

You and I don't have to wait for heaven to have peace. We can have peace in this life...and that's very Good News!