“Be
anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7
As normal human beings, we usually focus on, complain about and lose hope over all the negative aspects of our existence. We cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel; and often if we do, that light is a train! We end up broken, bruised or buried alive in the negative focus of “why me?” We grumble, quarrel, regret and wallow in the mire of negativity, habitual skepticism and unbelief.
This
unconstructive lifestyle causes anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, stomach
illnesses, panic disorders, addictions and even schizophrenia. We often mask
our fears with an unconcerned attitude or we anesthetize them with addictions
or escape them by compartmentalizing our life. In order to appear spiritual, we
may even internalize our unconstructive thoughts and feelings in our
subconscious mind. We do our best to ignore them, only to find them emerging in
some form of physical ailment or overpowering emotion, which our soul designs to
capture our attention.
There
is a seed for a miracle in each negative incident we experience. In Philippians
4: 6-7, Paul exhorts us to be anxious for nothing, prayerful about everything
and thankful in all things. Paul learned from experience that God always works
positive results in our lives through our destructive circumstances (Romans 8:28). We can trust God’s transcending peace, which rises
above our human understanding, to guard our soul – our mind, will and emotions - through any turmoil, which occurs in our life. With
this in mind, then, we can rejoice in the Lord always, because we trust Him to cause
all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28).
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus, I learned by experience that the surest path to physical illness and
mental and emotional break down is to worry about everything, to neglect prayer,
and to live a pessimistic and ungrateful life. Help us to remember that the
only real cure for our problems is found in giving You thanks in all things and
trusting our life to You and our loving, Heavenly Father.
Thought
For The Day:
Even
when life is cloaked with the darkest shroud, Your Son is always shining.