DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Thursday – May 25, 2023

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6

In his book “Anxious for Nothing,” author Max Lucado writes: “Statistics have recently shown that Americans are the most anxious/stressed out people in the world, so preaching on the topic has some obvious import today. As human beings, we are prone to compare ourselves to others. But what if our entire culture itself is sick? If we are ever going to be displaced as the most anxious country in the world, we are going to need to find outside resources to help us. Recognizing we have a propensity for perfectionism, workaholism is the first step in the process. I hope you enjoy this short story by Max Lucado, which ought to illustrate our own predispositions to be busy-body, stressed-out people:

A native Hawaiian once told me the origin of the name that islanders use for us non-Hawaiians—haole. Haole is a Hawaiian word for “no breath.” The name became associated with the European immigrants of the 1820s. While there are varying explanations for this term, I like the one he gave me: ‘Our forefathers thought the settlers were always in a hurry to build plantations, harbors, and ranches. To the native Hawaiians, they seemed short of breath.’”

As Christians, when worry enters our life, we need to draw near to our Heavenly Father and give our anxiety to Him. Today in prayer, give the Lord all of your worries and receive from Jesus His perfect peace.

“No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear.” – George Macdonald

God’s Word: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” – Matthew 6:25