This week I learned something new about this very famous passage in the Bible. I love when that happens. The Bible truly is the living Word of our Living God. We’ve all heard we are not to worry. But when we are down, even that feels like a huge task to do. We feel we don’t have any energy to shovel worries away. But guess what! It is not our task after all! What? Yes. God’s peace guards our hearts and minds and hence keeps our worries away. How can that be? Read for yourself:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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. (Phil. 4:6-7, NLT)
Yes, we are told not to worry. Instead of worrying, we are to “let petitions and praises shape our worries into prayers”, as the Message paraphrase puts it. Then we will, by God’s grace, experience peace beyond understanding. And this peace, God’s peace, guards our hearts and minds and hence keeps our worries away. So it is not our task to guard our hearts and minds. It is a task best left to God.
God’s peace guards our hearts and minds
Our task is to cling to Jesus in prayer and the rest happens by God’s grace. So do not focus on your worries, focus on Jesus. Yes, pray about everything, and give everything to Jesus. Linger in God’s presence, drink in his peace. And experience how it guards your heart and mind free from worries.
So don’t worry about not being able to keep worries away with your own strength. It is not your task at all. Our only task is to abide in Jesus, rest is up to God. We can’t save ourselves but God can. And we can keep our hearts and minds worry-free on our own but we don’t have to. It is God’s job. And he does it beautifully.
Let him show you how it’s done. Start with praying and releasing everything to Jesus. Give thanks and praise and just receive his peace and live in it. God’s peace guards our hearts and minds against worries. There is no other way. But Jesus is more than enough.
Let us begin by praying:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to you with heavy hearts.
Thank you that we can give you all that troubles us.
We praise you for being in control of our situations.
Thank you for having a good plan for each of us.
We praise you for your amazing peace.
Thank you for guarding our hearts and minds.
Be praised forever and ever!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
P.S.
Isn’t God amazing? He does everything for us, we just need to choose him day in, and day out. This new understanding was a huge blessing for me. We have not been left alone to manage our lives with our meager strength. God wants to work in our lives through the peace he gives everyone who seeks him. Aren’t we beyond blessed? Yes, we are. Thank you, Jesus! Blessings to you, my friend, as you let God be your peace!
