Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Phil 4:6 (NIV)
This verse tells us to not be anxious about anything. That often seems like a pretty difficult. You might see lots bad things going on in the world. Or feel that you’re under too much stress at work or school. Even in the middle of all of these things, God tells us to not be anxious.
How is that possible? How can you go through life without being anxious? The rest of this verse tells us how to do it. We are to do two things:
- Pray.
- Be thankful.
When we choose to be thankful, it changes our perspective on the situation. Instead of being stressed out about how demanding your job is, you can be thankful that you have a job. Instead of stressing about whether you’re going to meet the right person to marry, you can be thankful that you’re single and get to spend more of your free time getting to know God. In many cases, being thankful can turn your anxiety around. It’s hard to be anxious when you’re thankful.
Today choose to put aside your anxiety and choose to practice being thankful. You’ll find that as you become thankful, it’s hard to be anxious.
Today’s Truth: It’s hard to be anxious when you’re thankful. Develop a habit of giving thanks.
