As stated in my last blog post. The word the Lord has given me for the year 2020 is peace. He started teaching me about peace in January. I have dealt with significant anxiety and stress my entire life; I just became good at hiding it from those around me for fear of looking weak. January 5, 2020, was the day that I finally kicked anxiety after over 20 years of dealing with it daily. But, I thought He chose the word "peace" for me, but He actually chose it for you, the person reading this post. My mom has always told me that we are "blessed to be a blessing." This is clearly one of those times. The lesson of peace was one of the quickest lessons that the Lord helped me learn, but it was for you. I have fought Him on sharing this blog, especially since it makes me so vulnerable to my readers. And vulnerability is something that I am still learning. But, if this post helps just one person, then it was worth it.
The Lord has inspired me to start back journaling for 2020. In my entry on January 10, 2020, I said, " So I've been reading my Bible, but haven't had time to write, so I'm going back to write about Philippians 4 because I know this chapter is vital to my year 2020. Philippians 4:6-7, in particular, keeps popping up in numerous places and times."
Philippians 4:6-7 says, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Verse 6a: "Don't be anxious about ANYTHING." He doesn't say most things, most things, or even 'virus' things. He says ANYTHING! Be anxious about nothing!
Verse 6b: " But in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." In everything means EVERYTHING. Supplication means to plead or to beg. Supplication shows persistence and confidence in the Lord. This indicates that prayer is the first response, but God is our first responder. Thanksgiving and praise mean giving than to God through all circumstances.
[I mentioned before how I kicked anxiety for the first time and I feel lead to share that moment. On that Sunday before church, something happened and caused me to have anxiety and worry. But I know the Lord has a calling on my life that doesn't have any room for anxiety. So amid my worry, I began thanking the Lord for everything by name. I thanked Him for my life, my husband, my parents, my friends, my house, my job, etc. The anxiety didn't leave, but I heard the Lord tell me to keep going. So I did. I thanked Him for the food in my belly and clothes on my back. I thanked Him for my ability to breathe on my own, to walk, to run, to see, to smell, to think, to love, to feel, to taste, and the list goes on. As I continued thanking Him for it all, the anxiety began to dwindle! I started feeling peace and gratefulness instead of fear and panic.]
Verse 7: "And the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." We get to exchange anxiety and panic for God's peace. His peace will guard your heart and mind. This reminds me of Proverbs 4:23 that says to guard your heart with all diligence. IF the peace of God is supposed to guard my heart and mind, then it is my job to practice due diligence and abide by Philippians 4:6.
So during these times of uncertainty and fear, focus on the goods things. Focus on the ways that the Lord has blessed you. If you still have breath in your lungs, you still have a reason to rejoice! The next time fear tries to creep in, try thanking the Lord for EVERYTHING by name. All the way down to the little things. When I was kicking anxiety for the first time, the last thing I thanked God for was the ability to blink my eyes. After saying that, I started laughing with joy. Focusing on all the blessings, big and small, made the bad things seem so small, especially in the light of knowing who is in control.
God wants peace for us, and He has given us the recipe for it. Check out my next post, "Recipe for Peace."