Stressed and Anxious? God gives peace

Laurie’s Story: Laurie, in his 70s, was waiting for a medical diagnosis. He knew something was wrong with his health, probably terminal, but it wasn’t yet known what the problem was. One thing he knew was that he was in the safest place he could be: in the will of God—that is, willingly living his life to the glory of God, within the active loving relationship of trust and obedience to Jesus Christ.

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Anxiety is a regular part of many people’s lives. Anxiety is the experience of worry and nervousness about what might—or will—come in the future. We worry about upcoming exams and assignments, about how relationships might pan out, about employment, about health, about our children, about aging parents, and many other things.

It is a perfectly natural part of life, but it is not one that anybody enjoys! The Bible has instructions about attitudes and practices that displace anxiety and foster a confidence in God that is prepared to meet whatever the future might hold. These attitudes and practices are part of a Godward focused life. In this, inner peace is a byproduct, not the end goal—that belongs to God himself!

The Christian’s outlook is anchored in different reference points to people with no religious faith. We see the world as being held in God’s hands, and that our lives exist within the context of God’s much bigger plans.  Our different outlook and lifestyle grow naturally—even if with difficultly—out of the perspective and practices produced by the gospel.

The words come from Paul, an “apostle” or ambassador of Jesus Christ. He wrote them in a letter to a church in the ancient city of Philippi in Greece (Philippians 4:4–7):

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 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.

1. Rejoice in the Lord (verse 4). “Joy” is different to “happiness” in that it is based on something outside personal circumstances. The Christian’s perspective on life is dominated by the fact that we recognise that God is King – he reigns and he saves. In rejoicing in this, we remember that God is above all our problems and that our living revolves around him, not our success in our circumstances.
2. Pray (verse 6). Prayer at a most basic level prayer is a handing over of things to God as we ask him to help. We can’t fix everything ourselves, and so we look to him and ask him to step in. Prayer acknowledges God’s ability and power to resolve difficulties—and that he is in charge of events. But remember, God is not a vending machine, and his goals might be different to our goals. Prayer with a steady and mature faith expresses a confident trust in God’s wisdom and goodness to do what and when he thinks is best—even if he doesn’t remove our problems for us.
3. Give Thanks (verse 6). Thanksgiving helps to set our hearts in the right place. It calls on us to recall when God has been good to us. Don’t just bring all your complaints and requests to him—be thankful. This gives a change of focus that quietens anxiety.
4. Expectation (verse 5). Paul reminded the church he wrote to that “the Lord is coming soon”. This reminds us that our future exists within God’s bigger plans of an ultimate future. Seeing our worries in light of God’s coming kingdom reduces their comparative size.

The result of these attitudes and practices is that “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 Jesus Christ” (verse 7). This isn’t a mechanical, cause-and-effect process. It’s relational. It grows with your faith, and your personal orientation to God and his ways. The problems of the future may still come

“You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is set on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3–4

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“Take Another Look” is a West Auckland-based ministry that aims to commend Jesus to people’s hearts and minds, and promote the way of life that the good news of Jesus invites.

If you would like to discover the widely-held beliefs and practices among Christians, please visit and explore www.TakeAnotherLook.nz. Or, if you have questions you would like discussed, please get in touch through the contact page.

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