What to Do with Worry
Philippians 4:6-7
Tuesday , February 20th
Last year right around this time , a 10-year-old girl in Florida was swimming in two-feet of water at a local park , when a 9-foot alligator attacked her . Now normally , such an attack would spell death for any child her age . Amazingly , this girl had recently taken a class on “ what to do if you ’ re ever attacked by an alligator .” So , when the gator opened its jaws and grabbed her leg , she poked it in the nose , then grabbed ahold of its jaws and pried them apart , pulling her leg out of the gator ’ s mouth .
If you lived in Florida ( or if you do live there ), would you be worried about gators ? Maybe alligators aren ’ t a threat to you , but maybe there is something else in your life that is just as scary to think about . Something that occupies your thoughts and sometimes makes it hard for you to sleep at night . In our lesson today from Philippians chapter 4 , God tells us , “ Don ’ t be anxious ( or worried ) about anything …” We all struggle with worry and anxiety . So how do we fight it ?
First , let ’ s be clear on what God means here . When he tells us not to worry , he ’ s not saying that we can ’ t love and care for each other . In fact , if you ’ re worried about someone , it probably means your heart is attached to them . And that ’ s a good thing . It ’ s good when parents want their child home safe every night . It ’ s good when you care about your spouse , your friends , your parents , and even your own life .
In fact , this section highlights that God knows you care about those things . He also knows the challenges you face are different than any other person ’ s . So is the pressure you feel . So are the reasons you feel sad when you have to say goodbye to a grandparent , a friend , a mom , a dad , or a child . So are the reasons for your worry . Despite what some might say , there really is no one in the world who knows exactly how you feel . No one , that is , except for Jesus .
In our verses today , God gives us a class on “ what to do if you ’ re ever attacked by worry .” But unlike that little girl and the gator , he doesn ’ t say you have to fight those things on your own . Instead he says , “ in every situation , by prayer and petition , with thanksgiving , present your requests to God .” In other words , you ’ re not in control here . God is . And he wants us to place all our cares , worries , and anxious thoughts into his hands . And when we put our trust in the Lord to handle all things , he promises that the “ peace of God , which transcends all understanding , will guard [ our ] hearts and [ our ] minds in Christ Jesus .”
Prayer : Merciful Lord , when we grow anxious , lead us to bring all of our thoughts and worries to you in the full confidence that you will take care of us . Amen
Activity : As a family , identify the different methods Paul gives us for battling worry . Once you ’ ve made the list , come up with ways in which you ’ re going to put that into practice this week .
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