Monday of Week Five
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"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." —Philippians 4:6
We all deal with various levels of stress, challenges, and anxieties in our day to day lives. Like getting homework turned in on time, or studying to get that A or B on a critical exam in a class that has been a challenge, completing projects within the cost and schedule that you committed to, dealing with challenging individuals, or closing on actions that you promised to complete when circumstances have changed impacting your ability to get the job done. The list can be endless. So how do we as Christians deal with the stress and anxieties that come with all of these challenges?
Our Sunday School class has been studying the book of Joshua. It’s an incredible book about God making good on all of his promises to the people of Israel and it goes all the way back to Abraham when God promised that “I will make you a great nation” (Genesis 12:2) and “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). When Joshua reaches the end of his life he gathers all of Israel together to remind them (and us) that God always fulfills his promises (Joshua 23:14) and to stay the course while holding fast to the Lord (Joshua 23:9), love the Lord your God (Joshua 23:11), and if we truly do then we should trust that God will take care of us.
Just this past week, I was coming out of a couple hours of very challenging meetings where a lot of pressure was being applied to accomplish daunting tasks in a very short period of time. I was definitely feeling stressed and anxious. I walked into our break room to get something to drink when I noticed a little red book that referenced scripture sitting on a table. I opened it up and the first chapter was about dealing with anxiety. I thought to myself, gosh, God is talking to me right now through this little book. So I did a quick read of that first chapter right there in the break room. It referenced Philippians 4:6-7 where it says to not be anxious about anything, but rather pray and present our requests to God. If we do, God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, it says to humble ourselves before God and cast all of our anxiety on him because he cares for us. In John 14:27, Jesus says that if we love him, he will give us peace and we should not let our hearts be troubled or be afraid.
That little red book and our Sunday School class studies of Joshua have helped me navigate the daily challenges that life has been throwing my way. I pray that these words will do the same for you.
Author: Blaine Brown
Personal Reflection:
What are you most anxious about right now? Spend time in prayer and scripture, releasing those worries to God. How does trusting Him change your perspective?
Daily Action:
Check in on a friend or coworker who may be stressed. Offer to help with a task, listen to their concerns, or pray with them for peace and guidance.
