Be Careful For Nothing

“Be careful for nothing; but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

When I talk and counsel with others, I realize that people have a lot of problems and concerns, some of which I cannot even imagine. It is certain that none of us escape challenges no matter how our life may look on the outside. Living on this earth brings with it hardships. (In the world you will have tribulation. John 16:33) The pressures, the obstacles, the circumstances and adversities that we face can seem insurmountable.

What is at the root of our stress? Why do we insist on understanding our lives? CONTROL. We want control. We want to know WHY we face these hardships. We want to change our situation and when we cannot, we carry the stress of the dilemma. Our brain will work overtime seeking a solution. This causes us to get buried under with frustration, grief and sorrow when we are not successful. Many times, this results in anger towards God. The bottom line is we want our way. We are self-focused and self-centered. Yet all the while, God is asking us to simply surrender.

You see, if we must always know the answer, it doesn’t require trust in God. Trust is the core characteristic of walking with Jesus. Remember when you got saved? You prayed a prayer that sounded something like this, “God, I give you my life. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive you as my LORD and Savior.” Let’s unpack this prayer.

The first line is ‘I give you my life.’ Did you mean it? I mean….really mean it? This means you gave God every. single. day. of your life. I had to come to grips with this fresh and anew when I went through my divorce and entered into single parenting with no career in place and financially unprepared. God knew, although I didn’t, when I gave him my heart at age 7, what every day of my life would hold. Although there were many uncertainties in the days of single parenting, I made a fresh commitment to trust God fully through all that I was facing.

Giving God your life means you surrender. I know this may sound so basic, but surrendering means you are no longer in CONTROL. You willingly waved the white flag and surrendered EVERYTHING TO GOD. EVERYTHING. You surrendered the timelines. You surrendered the various phases of life. You surrendered the victories (for His glory) and the disappointments.

In surrendering, you became a slave to Christ. That terminology doesn’t set well with us in our culture. However, repeatedly Paul said, “I am a bondservant of Christ.” (Rom 1:1, Phil 1:1, Titus 1:1, Gal 1:10) In the Greek, bondservant is translated from the word doulos which means ‘slave.’ When we surrendered our life, we became a slave to Christ to follow His direction no matter if we agree or understand. A slave doesn’t ask for an explanation when the master has requested that he does a task. He just trusts and obeys.

That thought brings us back to the scripture that I led with. “Be careful for nothing…but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” The NIV reads, “Do not be anxious about anything…”  The word anxious takes a more relevant spin on that scripture for our culture. We hear so much about anxiety, as if it is a badge we wear to be anxious. The Master is telling us through the Guide For Life Book….do not be anxious! Do we actually do what the Bible tells us to do? Why don’t we practice this? Because we would rather be in control. I wonder, then,  if we have fully surrendered?

God is directing us that when in trials, hardships, and adversity how to handle the situation. Then he gives us the result that we can expect from taking that action. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard (a military term) your hearts and MINDS in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7) John 14:2 says, “I am leaving you with a gift---peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Do we receive his gift of peace or reject it?

The first step to walking out this scripture is prayer. We need to pray more. Earthly battles are won in the heavenlies. But we don’t linger long enough and entreat the throne of God sufficiently with our requests and supplications to feel the release in our spirit. 1 Samuel tells us, “The battle belongs to the Lord.” One glimpse from God in your direction can change the whole trajectory of your life. He is waiting on us to trust Him. He is not concerned about our trials. He is concerned about our character.

As a parent, I made a conscious decision to be more concerned about raising godly hard working, loving, caring, responsible MEN, REAL MEN, rather than be so entwined in their current comforts. I was not there to be their friend, although it is a wonderful side benefit now they are adults. My job was to parent, to do what was best for them in the long run. It was my job to guide, direct, train and redirect. We had fun and loving times, but only because the ground rules were established. Sometimes this required tough love, which I am convinced is tougher on the parent than the child. You see, kids are fools. Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.” It is the parent’s primary responsibility to guide and direct the child through their developing years.

As God’s children, He is obliged to allow us to go through the hard things to make us more like His son, Jesus. That is God’s goal as our Father, that we be Christ like. To truly trust Him, we must know his love for us. I had confidence that when my Daddy appropriately corrected me, it was because he loved me. To “know” His love, is not merely a mental understanding. It means to be intimately acquainted with, as a husband and wife KNOW each other.

That brings us full circle. Have you fully surrendered? Do you truly KNOW the love of God in your life? That intimate love that is unending, that is sacrificial and hovers over you day and night? Have you met the Holy One who is just and righteous, full of glory and majesty, and yet is crazy about you? Or do you just know about Him? Are you so busy doing all the church stuff that  you don’t spend time with him, just the two of you, in prayer?

If you are fully surrendered to His plan for your life, you can cry out to Him for guidance and comfort. Psalms 34:18 tell us, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

You won’t need to be afraid to trust Him fully if you know his sovereign love. “Perfect love casts out all fear.” 1 John 4:18 Recently I realized how frustrated I was because God was not working some things out in my life like I wanted. When I fully surrendered, my joy returned. That peace that passes all understanding and just cannot be explained filled my heart. All the pressure and stress left me…because I determined if it didn’t work out like I wanted, it was okay. I purposed that at the end of my life, I would not be disappointed because I trusted fully in Him for every day. Are you truly trusting Him?

“Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7