“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6-7, NIV).
“The next three months are going to be crazy.” Sometimes we see it coming, don’t we? We glance at our planners and it’s written in black and white: Overcommitted. Overbooked. Overwhelmed. That tsunami of stress barrels toward us with increasing speed reflected in our increasing heart rates.
When anxiety looms large, I want to be preemptive before it gets a stranglehold.
“The answer to anxiety is the adoration of Christ.” Ann Voskamp.
Wise words indeed. To adore (worship, exalt, glorify, honor) Christ, we can’t help but give thanks. And in giving thanks we find joy. Not fluffy, temporary happiness, but deep-rooted joy; a joy that breaks through our anxiety.
God knows that when we are in a place of turmoil, worry, and stress, we need to shift our focus from ourselves to Him. Perhaps from our planners to His Word. We are to pray in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise, for our benefit as well as His glorification.
Christmas may be long gone, but still, we need to “Come, Let Us Adore Him.”
Come.
The most exquisite invitation.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 (NIV).
For when our minds are set on thoughts of Christ, there is very little room for fretting. Allowing anxiety to have free reign and room to run amuck pushes Christ into the recesses—when we need Him front and center the most. When we desperately need His peace…
“… the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds…”
May our anxiety be replaced with adoration, and panic be replaced with peace as we face the season before us—in His strength.
