Two-minute read.
While in prison, Paul writes these words to the Philippians. Chained to a guard, the apostle instructs us, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
Can you imagine?
Paul doesn’t offer this encouragement from a stress-free life, but from one marked by hardship. He doesn’t deny real concerns; he redirects them. Anxiety often comes from carrying what God never intended us to carry alone.
In a world where we have everything at our fingertips, people suffer from anxiety more than ever. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the American Psychiatric Association report that 1 in 5 adults struggles with anxiety—and the number continues to rise year after year. Anxiety has become one of the most common mental health challenges in the United States.
And yet, a prisoner in Rome around AD 60–62, chained to a guard, offers a powerful response to this growing struggle: pray with thanksgiving, and we will experience the peace of God. A peace that guards our hearts and our minds.
When anxiety begins to rise in me, I try to use it as a reminder to pray.
For example, I often have to drive across the 4.5-mile-long James River Bridge, which spans an active shipping channel. Because of the military vessels that pass beneath it, the bridge has a steep incline that makes my stomach drop as I begin the climb. As my tires roll over the metal grate where the bridge opens, the car shifts slightly. Uninvited thoughts creep in, and anxiety starts to build.
So I call on the Lord and place my anxiety in His hands.
First, I thank Him—for His provision, for my car, for the bridge, and for the ability to drive. Then I ask Him to take my anxiety and replace it with His peace.
And something begins to shift.
Instead of focusing on the steep rise ahead of me, I start to notice the beauty around me. The view from the bridge stretches wide—the water below, the shoreline in the distance. At sunrise or sunset, the sky puts on a display that can take your breath away.
By redirecting my thoughts, just as Paul encourages, I begin to experience the Lord’s peace overcoming my anxiety. Each time I lean into the Savior, I find myself trusting Him more—trusting Him to guard my heart and mind.
I ask God to quiet the enemy’s whispers and help me fix my eyes on Him.
Follow Paul’s invitation.
Lift your anxieties to the Savior.
Begin with gratitude.
Bring Him your fears.
Ask for His help.
And trust Him to do the rest.
Journal Questions:
How do you identify anxiety?
What anxiety must I release?
How can you make Paul’s instructions a part of your life?
Application:
Exchange anxiety for written gratitude.
