Choose Trust!

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Be gentle.

James 3:17a “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others.”  Gentleness can always find a patch of common ground, giving people room to grow and change.

Gentleness doesn’t control but is willing to yield or submit to one another in love.

Be aware of His presence. 

Philippians 4:5 “The Lord is near.”  We often pray, asking for God’s presence when our prayer should be, “Lord, make me aware of your presence.”  He is near but many times our lives and hearts are too crowded to see or hear Him.  The more we are aware of God’s presence the less we will worry.

 Choose to trust.

“Do not be anxious about anything.”

“Anxious” literally means, “to be pulled in different directions” and is based on the old English root from which we get our word “worry” meaning “to strangle”.  Worry can strangle us but trust breaks the hold of worry in our lives!

Worry is a control issue.  Its opposite is trust.  Choose to trust and you will not worry.  Choose to worry and you will not trust.  What a great promise is found in Isaiah 26:3!  “You, LORD, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.”  Every opportunity to worry is also an opportunity to trust God.  Choose trust!

Pray about everything.

Philippians 4:6b “But in everything, by prayer and petition…present your requests to God.”

“Prayer” is simply conversation with God.  “Petition” means to earnestly plea with or implore.  To “present your requests” is simply to “make known” or “tell” God specifically what it is that you need. Praying about everything shuts out worry because prayer invites God to be involved in every area of life, and when He is involved, we have nothing to fear!

Practice the attitude of gratitude.

Ephesians 5:20 “Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When our hearts and lives are filled with praise and thanksgiving, worry is a weed that will die from lack of attention.  Praise is a powerful weapon against worry and frees God to work in our lives.  Why?  Because when we praise Him, we trust Him.

Know The Peace of God.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  “Peace” can be defined as “a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being”.   Peace is a supernatural gift from God, given as a hedge of protection that will “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Choose to Trust and you will Know the Peace of God

Taken from:

December 30, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 2
Mary Southerland

And

December 31, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 3
Mary Southerland