Don’t Worry!

 “Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

 ~Philippians 4:6 HCSB

Paul writing to the Philippians church tells them not to worry about anything, nothing at all.  Now I don’t know about you but there are many times in my life I have worried.  Look around you, there are many things to be worried about.  But here is Paul having the nerve to say don’t worry.  How can this man, Paul have so much confidence?  How can Paul not worry!  He has people trying to kill him.  People all around him are suffering.  He himself has been beaten, stoned, jailed, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake!  And that isn’t everything!  He would eventually lose his life, and he says don’t worry! 

Prayer was Paul’s confidence.  He prayed about everything and trusted God to take care of him.  God took Paul’s faith and used it to make Christ known to the world.  You look at the list above and know Paul suffered, so how is that being taken care of by God?  People around Paul saw him suffer.  We read about what Paul experienced and we see Paul’s faith grow and we are amazed.  Without Paul suffering and God using it to build his faith, he could have never written most of the New Testament in the same way.  No Paul’s experiences and seeing God’s hand deliver him time after time allowed him to give thanks in any situation and say with confidence, “Rejoice, again I say rejoice!” 

So what is it you are going through and how is God using your experience to build your faith?  Have you looked back and realized how God has used past experiences to build your faith?  I look back on my life and I can see Him using everything that has happened to me to bring Him glory.  He used past pains and sufferings to make me into the person I am today.  Do I want to revisit those past events?  Not at all, but at the same time I am thankful because without them I would be incomplete.  Only God can do that, only God can take tragedy and turn it into something beautiful and helpful to others.  God deserves all the credit, all the glory!    

So I’ll close with one thought.  The only time you need to worry is…when your problems are NOT in God’s hands.  

Lord help us to trust you with everything.  Lord help us to give thanks for everything that happens to us.  Lord we pray for you to use us for your purpose and glory and most of all Lord, help us not to worry about anything!  Amen