6. Be anxious for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
In an age filled with constant emotional stimulus, is it realistic to be “anxious for nothing”? Or is it that, as some suggest, Paul’s words are not relevant today? Not only are his words very relevant today, but it’s as if they were written for the world we live in. And we can confidently say that it is as impossible today, as it was then to never feel anxiety. But this is where understanding scripture matters — and to remember that all scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is everlasting.
Paul isn’t suggesting to Christians — then or now — to believe that it is possible to never feel anxiety. The epistles we read as part of the New Testament were individual letters written to young churches that were under constant pressure: persecution from the government of Rome and Jews that had not converted, false teachings keeping the new church in constant confusion, modern medicine had not evolved so sickness and disease led to death more frequently, structured law enforcement didn’t exist so the vulnerable were more exposed, just as the poor and needy. If anything, the early church had more reason to be anxious than we do today.
Paul’s words echo Proverbs 3:5 which states ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.’ This is exactly what he is urging through humble prayer with thanksgiving to God. When we become anxious about things within or beyond our control, we are leaning on our own understanding — which diminishes communion and our ability to discern guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says in John 16:13 ‘Howbeit, when He the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth:’ Paul isn’t asking believers to suppress our anxiety, but to trust the consistency of scripture — that casting our cares on God through prayer works, and that it is the Holy Spirit, not our intuition, that will guide us to the best possible outcomes in every situation.
So, whether thoughts that make you anxious arrive when you first awake, interrupt sleep with whispers at night while trying to sleep, or randomly during the day — talk to God and make the devil flee (James 4:7). This will produce the ‘peace of God which surpasses all understanding’. Your own understanding tells you that you should be stressed out and on edge. God’s peace surpasses that understanding, bringing you into a state of calming clarity, that allows you to hear the tranquil voice of His Holy Spirit inside of you. Amen!