Ep. 38 | Dealing with Anxiety | Philippians

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Philippians 4:6. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

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Welcome to Formed by the Word, a podcast where we don't just read the Bible, we invite it to shape our lives. In each episode, Pastor Eddie Blaylock will provide daily devotionals seeking to connect real scripture to real life. We'll be starting with the book of Philippians. This incredible letter clearly reveals how life in Christ shapes a resilient faith and a joy that is not dependent on circumstances. So wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, and let's be formed by the word together.

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Have you ever noticed how fast your mind can spiral? It starts small, something like, what if I mess this up? Then a few seconds later, it's what if I lose my job? Then what if I can't pay my bills? Or finally, what if everything falls apart? Suddenly you've gone from one small concern to imagining your entire life collapsing all before you even get out of bed. Nothing has actually happened, but your mind is already living in a disaster. Someone said worry takes you to places your life hasn't even gone. And someone else said worry is a lot like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't really take you anywhere. You can sit there all day replaying scenarios, imagining outcomes, and trying to control things, but in the end, you've gone nowhere. All you've done is wear yourself out. Well, that's exactly what worry does. And into that reality, Paul writes these words to his friends in Philippi. He says, Do not be anxious. That is, don't worry. Do not be anxious about anything. Now remember that Paul is writing to the Philippians, but it's for us as well. So this part of his letter can help us with our own issues of worry. In his very clear command, Paul makes it clear that our goal should be an absence of worry in our lives. I understand that this is ideal and it's just that, an ideal. It's very aspirational, but Paul is saying it's obtainable. The word Paul uses is translated here as anxious, but other reputable translators render it worry. I'm not sure there's a lot of difference. It means literally to have a divided mind and to be pulled in different directions. So really, either anxious or worry seems appropriate. The thing to observe is that this is a command, not a suggestion. It's also important to understand that Paul is not dismissing real concerns. It's all about redirecting those, redirecting where they should go. So why is anxiety a problem? Anxiety is a problem because it grows when we try to control what only God can handle. When we try to carry what we were meant to surrender, it runs counter to faith and counter to trust. And the scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Anxiety is a problem because it signals a misplaced trust, a misplaced control on our part. Anxiety is what happens when we carry what God never asked us to carry. Right now you're probably thinking, but how do I not worry? Or how do I not have anxiety? And I know that's a great question. You can't just tell it to go away and it goes away, can you? But Paul has an answer for us found in the last part of verse six. He says, Don't worry, don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. So here Paul gives us a strategy for replacing worry and anxiety for peace. Not just any peace, but a peace that's beyond our comprehension. Paul says, instead of worrying, pray. Okay, that's doable, right? We can intentionally replace worry with prayer. But how do we do that? Well, let's pause and reflect just a moment on this verse. It's short, but it's fascinating, and it lists four elements of prayer for us to consider. The first thing he mentions is simply a word he uses, prayer. By prayer, he means a general communion with God. In everything he says, stop worrying and pray. Have a general communion with God. Prayer is simply talking with God. You can talk with God just like you talk with anyone else that you know. Second, he says, prayer and supplication. This is the idea of making specific requests from God. This is the idea of bringing specific things, specific needs before Him. And then he says, with thanksgiving. Now, this is all about remembering God's past faithfulness to us and expressing gratitude for those things. We should never be slow to express thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for all of the bountiful blessings in our lives. I tried to get better as my age gets older. I try to start each day by thanking God for the simple things, even another day of life, even just waking me to this fresh new day. My dear friend J.C. Wallace at Holmes's Rock in Grand Bahamas, he offers a prayer to many of his friends that he records for us and sends on Sunday. And I love it. And one thing he repeats often that I've tried to repeat in my own mind is this He says, Thank you, Lord, for waking us to a new day. Thank you that the blood still flows warm through our veins. Thank you that you woke us to a clear and sane mind. Isn't that a great way to start your day? Paul says, Let your request be made known. After talking about supplication and thanksgiving, he says very clearly, let your request be made known to God. I think the idea is to be honest with God. You don't have to use polished language, you don't have to use the King James English. Just be yourself. You don't have to try to impress God with your proficient use of Christian ease. You might request just physical needs, emotional issues, family problems, business concerns, or whatever may be on your heart for that day. And then next comes a phrase, Paul says, do this in everything. There's nothing too small to mention, nothing too big to talk about. After all, prayer is not informing God. Prayer is forming us. Can I say that one more time? I think it's important that we get that. Prayer is not informing God. Prayer is forming us. God already knows. God knows what we need, why we need it, and when we need it. Well, finally, Paul says that the result of replacing anxiety and worry with prayer is peace. He says in verse 7, and the peace of God, after he tells us to pray about everything, he says, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Wow. What a thought. That thought alone is worth spending much time today meditating and chewing on. But let me draw this to a close with some application. I think it's important that we understand that I think Paul is teaching us here that the next time anxiety strikes, begin to pray. The next time you find yourself worried, begin to pray. Anxiety decreases when prayer increases. Worry goes away when prayer is here to stay. Begin training your mind to focus on your faith, not on your fear. So let me leave you with a takeaway for today and plenty to chew on. I would say take away with this. You can be overcome by worry, or you can be overwhelmed by peace. It's your choice according to your practice. The more you try to control everything, the more everything controls you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this glorious new day. Thank you for life, for health. Thank you for the opportunity we have to go about our day to accomplish your work in our lives and among others. Now, Lord, as we tend to drift toward worry and anxiety, remind us to pray. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.