DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING

Do not be anxious about anything;…” (Philippians 4:6, NIV)

One of the most significant spiritual battles Christians face is the battle against fear. Thoughts like, “What will tomorrow bring? What will I eat? What will I wear? Where will I be in five years?” and “If I continue like this, what will my old age look like?” These types of questions often invade our minds: “How will I pay rent next month?” or “What if my child suddenly falls ill and I can’t afford medical expenses?”

These worries are constant. Sometimes they come whether we invite them or not. But when we let these concerns take root, they grow into anxiety and stress. This is when the concept of “worry” begins to overwhelm us.

Jesus himself spoke of this kind of worry in Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV), where He encourages His followers not to be anxious about their basic needs (food, drink, and clothing), because God knows our needs and provides for us, just as He cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.

In this passage, Jesus calls us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (our needs) will be added to us. This means that we are not to focus on our fears or material concerns but to focus on God and His will. God has already promised to take care of us. He commands us to not worry because it demonstrates a lack of trust in His provision.

We start to obsess over these thoughts, day and night, trying to control every situation and plan for every possibility. There’s nothing wrong with thinking about the future or planning, but there’s a difference between healthy planning and unhealthy worry. When we cross into unhealthy worry, fear takes over, and we fail to trust God.

God knows exactly how we feel. He understands that life on earth is filled with uncertainties, and fear will naturally try to attack us. But He has already given us a solution to overcome fear, as we see in:

Philippians 4:6 (NIV): “Do not be anxious about anything; but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Notice that God says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Not one thing, not two things, but anything! He understands that life brings both big and small concerns, but He tells us: do not worry. Instead, bring everything to Him in prayer and trust Him with it.

The Key Pillars of Overcoming Worry:

When we face challenges or difficult situations, our first instinct might be to panic and overwhelm ourselves with thoughts. But we shouldn’t let worry consume us. The right approach is to take all our concerns to God through prayer, laying them at His feet, and trusting that He will handle them.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV): “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

In these verses, Peter reminds us that God deeply cares for us and is concerned with our struggles. When we humble ourselves and cast our worries upon Him, He promises to lift us up. God is intimately involved in our lives, and He wants us to trust Him with our burdens.

Think about it—your heart continues to beat every day, year after year, without you ever needing to purchase a battery or service it. That’s God’s doing. He takes care of the small things without us even thinking about them. In the same way, He cares for our greater needs, even the ones we may think are too big to hand over to Him.

If we don’t worry about things as basic as our heartbeat, why should we stress over other things?

A Reflection on the Small Things:

Think about your nails and your hair. You never worry about them growing back, yet these things are often “fragile” in comparison to the bigger things we worry about in life. We never stress over whether our hair will grow back, but we allow ourselves to be filled with fear over much bigger matters. If we trust God with the little things, why not trust Him with the bigger things?

Matthew 6:27 (NIV): “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Jesus asks this question to highlight how futile and unproductive worry is. Worry never changes our circumstances; only faith and trust in God can bring peace and bring change.

You cannot serve God with fear. Fear will paralyze you, hinder you from moving forward, and prevent you from fulfilling God’s will. Fear is the opposite of faith. When you start to feel fear creeping in about tomorrow, recognize that God isn’t in that fear. The Holy Spirit doesn’t bring fear, but peace. As

Romans 8:15 (NIV) says, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.”

The Holy Spirit empowers us to live without fear.

Before God speaks to you or gives you any revelation, He will first deal with the fear in your heart. Once that fear is gone, His peace will fill you, and He will guide you.

Why It’s Important to Be a People of Prayer:

Persistent prayer helps us draw closer to God’s presence—the God who is capable of handling everything. He is the Creator of the mountains, the oceans, the great whales, and all of creation. He created gold, diamonds, the rich, the poor, kings, and all leaders. This is the same God who tells us in

Matthew 6:33 (NIV), “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When we prioritize God’s Kingdom, He promises to provide for our every need.

What Happens When We Learn to Let Go?

When we read the following part of Philippians 4:6-7, we see the benefit of releasing our worries to God:

Philippians 4:7 (NIV): “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Once we’ve handed over our burdens, once we’ve removed the worry from our minds, God’s peace will descend upon us. This peace goes beyond human understanding. People will look at you and wonder how you can be at peace when everything around you is falling apart. You may be facing loss or struggling with something, but the peace of God will cover your worries and give you a calm that makes no sense to others. It’s not that problems don’t exist, but that the peace of Christ surpasses all those problems.

Psalm 127:2b (NIV): “He gives sleep to those He loves.”

When God’s peace enters your life, fear disappears. You can live like a bird, waking up in the morning and singing joyfully to God, and before going to bed, you sing to Him again, not worrying about what tomorrow will bring. You know that no matter what happens, God will provide for you. This peace transcends all human understanding.

However, reaching this peace is not always easy. It requires being people of prayer, thanksgiving, and regularly meditating on God’s Word.

Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV) says, “but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

There are many examples in Scripture that teach us how to live in peace, but if we don’t read His Word, we won’t know how to apply it in our lives, and we will miss out on the strength of the Spirit.

May the Lord bless you.

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