CLEANSING MY HEART FROM ANXIETY

 ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4: 4-7  

In this passage, I learn several things:  

I am commanded to rejoice in the Lord always.  “Always” doesn’t just mean for today and tomorrow; the prior verse discusses the “Book of Life.”  Paul is encouraging us to rejoice “always” for eternity!  It is through God’s free gift of eternal life that I am able to rejoice at all.  

I am told to let my gentleness be known to all men.  When I am asked to exhort a fellow brother or sister in the Lord, I don’t want to use harsh or belaboring words, but want to lead them to the truth in a gentle, encouraging manner.  Likewise, I should lift up others with gentleness so that the love of Jesus Christ can shine through me on them.  

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS:  Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”  Since this verse follows the last, it does stand to reason that my anxiety can get in the way of Jesus shining through me.  Paul tells how to cure the bondage of anxiety: by praying…with thanksgiving.  When I am anxious, I should praise God for all of the blessings I have in life.  Praising God with thanksgiving has a cleansing effect on my heart, which helps to cleanse my heart of my will and align my desires with God’s will.  

Paul states that if I am anxious for nothing, and am in prayer with thanksgiving, then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”  I want that peace!  If I can cleanse my heart of anxiety by praising God through prayer, then this awesome peace will actually “guard” my heart and mind from becoming anxious with worry and fear.  

Lord, please wash and cleanse my heart from the fear and anxiety that lurks there, so that You can use me as a testimony to others to help them do the same thing.  Amen.