6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8-9Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:6-9 – The Message)
Isn’t it great if we have no worries? Imagine your mortgage and all other loans are paid in full. There is no uncertainties and unexpected crisis in life. Everything goes as you wish. Isn’t that great? In reality, it is nearly impossible to have no worries. We live in a deficit world that focuses on weaknesses and the negatives. We are taught to be aware of our weaknesses and improve on it. If you are not good at math, your parents will hire a tutor to help you. There are many self help tools intended to help you to deal with your problems / weaknesses. We are also trained to be prepared for the worst. We think through all the possible outcomes before making a decision. We pick a solution that yield the least negative impact. There is nothing wrong with improvement and risk management, but we must not forget about the good, the beautiful, and things to praise. Focusing on the worries would only lead to greater worries. Instead of worrying, pray. Worry is not one of God’s attribute. He does not want us to worry. What we worry about should not be our own burden. Worries are indented to be lifted up. Worries help us to learn to rely on God, not to have doubt in God. God truly wants us to enjoy our lives. God helps us to enjoy our lives by letting us bring all the worries to Him. So, we can focus on the good, the beautiful, the things to praise. Bring all your worries and burdens to God. Let’s God deal with them. In your part, focus on thanksgiving. Have a great day!
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.”
