Philippians 4:6: “Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks.” (ICB)
It is very easy to be swept up with worry in our world today. There are many issues that we can focus our attention on in this area including the state of our economy, upcoming elections, decisions being made in Washington, stability of jobs, and how technology impacts our world to name but a few.
I tend to be a worrier. I am slowly seeing my life change positively in this area as I apply the above verse to my situations and concerns. It is very easy to focus on the negative things in life, the areas where doom and gloom prevail, but I am learning to give God the big stuff, willing to sit back and watch how He is going to work.
However, I am realizing that God wants so much more for us. He wants us to give Him not just the big worries mentioned above, but also the little ones. I am learning through giving Him my big concerns that it is just as important to go to Him with the little things. If it is important enough for God to mention in the Bible approximately 172 times, in one form or another, not to worry but to trust Him, then I need to listen. In addition, nowhere have I found in the Bible that God differentiates between big fears and small worries.
It is easy to pray and ask God to help our government, but what about the rift in the relationship between friends? Asking God to keep my family safe during the day is something I pray daily, but what about asking Him to show me which exercise program or diet will best fit my lifestyle and fitness level?
Before I started practicing this, I realized that even though I was giving God the “hurricane type problems” in my life, I was spending just as much time and energy worrying about the “thunderstorms” that seem to come up daily, if not hourly.
In order to fully rest in God’s safety net, I need to learn how to give Him both the big and small issues in my life. It is only then that I can truly be relaxed, praising God ahead of time or in the midst of issues, and then trusting Him for the answers to everything in my life.
As I learn how to do that, then I am free to look around and see how I in turn can help others because my focus is not on myself. Instead, I can be on the lookout of how I can bless others around me – with a smile, a kind word, or a helping hand. Lastly, I am being a much better example for my children and a better spouse, friend, or coworker when I spend less time worrying and more time being a positive example to those around me.