Instead

Do you ever feel like you try and try, but you just can't get this one?

Me too.

Don't worry about anything. Really? Not anything?

But, can you imagine what life would look like if we could grasp this one thing?

How much joy and peace would we have?

I tend to focus on the wrong part of this verse. I put all my effort into controlling my anxious thoughts...but then I'm anxious about my thoughts. Which kinda defeats the point.

The key here is the word instead.

If I just try not to worry, I have pent up energy. If I put that energy into prayer, I am actually getting somewhere. I've got to practice identifying when worry is creeping into my thoughts and intentionally hand it to God in prayer. The instead in this verse is so important because I need an outlet for the thoughts.

Philippians goes on to say:

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Thanking God is a way of fighting back against the anxious thoughts, you know the ones, they say things like:

"You have to take care of this, no one else will."

"If I can just try harder, I can change this."

or "If I had just ________, this might not have happened."

"How will I make this work?

Did you notice the repeated word in these thoughts?

(I put it in italics just in case it you missed it.)

It's never about me. God makes the way, not me. Every. Single. Time. If it worked out, it wasn't me. I don't know about you, but sometimes I take the credit for God when things work out. I make it about me.

Thanking God for all the times He has come through for me is shifting the credit back where it belongs. Acknowledging God like this brings wisdom and peace.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (verse 9)

If I want joy and peace, I have to practice. I love that it doesn't say get it perfect, it just says practice.

Rehearse God's goodness, reflect on His perfect timing, remove it from your shoulders, replace it where it belongs...repeat.

It's so simple, but it's also so hard.

Keep trying.

One thought at a time.

One day at a time.

Instead....pray.

Always in your corner,