Dying to worry

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear friends, let me say one more thing as I close this letter.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4: 6-9 New Living Translation

Wow, that is a very powerful section of scriptures.  I don't know about you, but somehow the cares of this life can bog me with down with worry.  When we feel like we are losing our peace....we need to remember that God has promised us peace (when we fix our mind on him)...not our problems, fears, situations or anything else.  We must fix our thoughts on the right things and think about the things of the Lord.


Let's look at a few things the scriptures above tell us to do in order to experience that peace:

• Don't worry
• Pray about everything
• Tell God what you need
• Thank him for all he has done for you

The promise to you (if) you do these things:

• His peace will guard your heart and mind

So, what are we to be thinking on:

• Things that are true
• Things that are honorable
• Things that are right
• Things that are pure
• Things that are lovely
• Things that are admirable
• Things that are excellent
• Things that are worthy of praise

The promise (if) we keep putting these things into practice:

• The God of peace will be with you

I don't know about you friend, but I could use some of God's peace in my life.  Sometimes the cares of this life can way me down.  The worries of kids, what-if's, fear, future, day-to-day life and millions of other things.  But, God's word promises to give us peace....the choice is up to you.  Are we going to obey what he says and put his word into practice or are we going to continue to fret and worry?

What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions.  The word tells us to program our mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.  Do you have problems with impure thoughts?  Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, movies and magazines.  Replace harmful input with wholesome material.  Above all, read God's word and pray.  Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure.  It takes practice, but it can be done.

I was reminded yesterday by a friend that when parenting it is better to focus on what is right and good...not on all the bad and sinful things.  This is what the scripture is telling us....to focus on the right things.  Yes, if you listen to the news, your friends, the world's report...you are filled with fear and worry.  But, if you focus the Word of God....He has promised to fill you with his peace.  The kind of peace that the world does not understand and can only come from God.  This is not the kind of peace that says only if things are going ok...God can fill you with peace, no matter what you are facing today.

Let's die to worry......and be filled with peace.

Praying for you,

Melissa