Don't Worry Be Happy!

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.-Philippians 4:6-7

I'm writing this blog during one of the most trying seasons I've ever gone through. I won't go into exact details of what's been happening, but it has been very frustrating, disappointing, and heavy. Circumstances are in place in my life right now, that I can't see past, and the devil has been doing his best to use them against me, and I have been doing my best to just allow him to do what he wants. 

Last week I was just reading through scriptures, just really trying to see what God was up to, why everything seemed like it was going haywire, and God took me to Philippians chapter 4. Particularly verses 6 and 7. Have you ever been anxious about something? There have been some circumstances in my life when I have really been anxious about something. Right now is one of them. Jesus tells us, "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."-Matthew 6:34

When we worry about things, it usually is because of future ramifications of some sort. Even when we worry about what we did yesterday, or what happened yesterday, it's usually in relation to what tomorrow will bring from that decision. So our problem usually is the fact that things that are coming in the future are scary. Such is the case with me right now. There are things that I don't understand about the future. There are things that are going on in my life right now, that are giving me opportunity to fear the future. But Jesus tells us that God already knows what we need. So why worry? 

I believe that one of satan's greatest tactics is to get us to worry. Worry about finances. Worry about the future. Worry about relationships. Worry about jobs. Worry, worry, worry. And the word of God is telling us, "Be anxious for nothing." Don't sweat it! He knows the thoughts that He thinks towards you. And He knows the plans He has for you. To prosper you, and give you a hope, and a future! This is why we don't have to worry. We can trust the fact that God is a good father and that He has our backs. While it may not look like it right now, I'm sure that in a few months I will look back on the situations and circumstances that are happening in my life and say, "Wow. That's what I was so worried about?"

Now let's look at some more of this verse. "...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." So, Paul gives us an idea of what kind of prayers will produce peace in our lives. The next verse talks about the peace of God that surpasses all understanding coming and guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. When we go to the Lord with our prayers, the best way to catch the heart of the father is to come in with a thankful heart. Now I do not believe that Paul was telling the church in Philippi that they needed to thank God FOR all things, rather to thank God IN all things. Most of you are aware that my father was diagnosed with cancer last November. Now, why would I go to God and say, "Thank you so much for giving my father cancer! You're such a swell guy!" That would be ludicrous! However, I did go to God many times and thank Him for being the healer, and for being with my family through all of it. I never had a doubt in my mind that God was going to take care of dad, and He did. Dad is now cancer free and has finished all of his treatments! Praise God! 

Sometimes bad stuff happens. In fact, Jesus promises it. "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."-John 16:33 We WILL have tribulation. James tells us to count it all joy when we encounter trials of various kinds, because the testing of our faith produces patience. And that will in effect produce wholeness in our lives. We know these things, yet we get upset when they happen. Jesus tells us that we will have tribulation, and when it shows up we act like we've never heard this before. We seem to think that everyone else can deal with trials and struggles, but we should be immune to it because Jesus doesn't want us in anything unpleasant. Sometimes we have to face unpleasant circumstances so we can learn something from them. And if we don't learn anything, it can just start the cycle right over again. I firmly believe that God wants us to have a thankful heart as we encounter all things. Be they good, or be they bad, God wants us to learn how to thank Him IN all things. 

In the middle of Philippians 4, Paul tells the church that he had learned in whatever situation he found himself in to be content. He knew what it was like to struggle. To be brought low, to be brought high. Facing plenty, hunger, abundance and need. Then he says something that we quote all the time, but use out of context. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This verse is speaking directly to being able to stay content in whatever situation we find ourselves in. The way that we do that is to stay thankful. 

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

When we stay thankful and pray prayers of thanksgiving to our God, then He can bring His peace in to cover us. And once we get to thank, then we can start to allow Him to renew our mind as Romans 12 talks about. As we think on these good things, it will remind us to thank Him, then it is a reciprocal thing. Thank Him for who He is, and what He's doing, and as you do that then you can start thinking on the goodness of God and His praiseworthiness, and when you hit that point then you are thankful again. And pretty soon. you will find yourself at peace with life, and content with whatever circumstance you are in. 

I'm just learning this principle. I was so caught up in my circumstances and my trials and tribulations, that I lost sight of who God really is. And in doing so, I lost sight of who I really am. I am a son of the most high. I am a child of the King of kings. He owns everything, and He is a generous father. No matter what you're going through today, take time out to thank Him for who He is. Take time to allow Him to transform your mind. Allow Him to turn you into a thankful person. He loves you more than you could ever know, and He desperately wants you to know of His love! I pray that this has blessed you as much as it has me by writing it. I love you all. Have a great week. And remember, stay thankful.