Do not be anxious about anything...

(Philippians 4:6)  “Do not be anxious about anything…”

This then is a clear instruction from the Apostle Paul, yet it is easier said than done!

What is it that causes anxiety? Let me not speak on behalf of others, but for me it is the uncertainty of security… If we now consider that thought, I believe it is Paul’s exact point. Here I have just proved that I am not trusting in God’s Word. I am rather perturbed by the thought of no guarantee future income, forgive me Father!

All anxiety proves is the evidence of someone walking in unbelief. So why do we suffer from anxiety? It is then very obvious; do you remember why the children of Israel could not enter the Promised Land? It had something to do with unbelief; “so we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:19)

Everything then hinged on this one fact, faith (belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof) as opposed to the lack thereof, unbelief (proof often the catalyst required to believe). Yet there is another factor that aids in the process of where we end up on any given day and that is whether we are obedient to God’s voice or not; “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?” (Hebrews 3:18)

How often have I liked to quote the men of old, the men of faith as if I stood alongside them flying the flag of faith? To be fair in part there were times in my life where I could have made some claim as a “colour-bearer of faith” as one who lived by faith. But today I am unable to make that claim with any certainty. Yet while we have breath we have hope, the opportunity to once again find that place is at the door.

I think that we often muddled the lines between faith and obedience and yet they are hard to separate. Faith is proved by obedience and yet regardless of obedience faith can still be clearly seen in some. We need look no further than Samson the best/worst example of all. We all have our own perceptions but they hold little very weight if not weighed with God’s scales. Samson never lost his strength though sin in that sense (see Judges 16:1), only when he defied God by negating the only direct command he was required to keep was he rendered powerless; “for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines." (Judges 13:5):- This instruction was given to Samson’s mother and was obviously passed down; there is no written indication that he directly received this instruction from God, which was, never to cut his hair. Either way you think it through, he was very aware of his responsibility and that was to never divulge his secret.

Why then did he flirt with it with such pliancy? Could this “body of death” have had anything to do with it? I believe it most certainly had everything to do with it.

With that thought in mind let me consider my life and the anxiety it now faces…

How often do I pray before a meal thanking God for His provision? On the whole it is part of a daily routine. My prayer even mentions that we do not take this provision for granted. But it is based on tradition rather than a warm felt appreciation. It is only now that I am worried about where my next meal will come from that it somehow puts a different spin on things. How quick am I to denunciate the children in the wilderness and yet I have never experienced the half of what they practiced. Until we are in similar positions to others we will be able to sympathise but never truly understand.

Here is my dilemma; we all have the same make up, we all have this “body of death” and we have all been given the same command; “be anxious for nothing”, but with that comes an instruction, what is needed to combat this emotion; “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And once that is part of our lives this then will be the result; “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This then is the factual truth of faith, anything outside of that is unbelief.

It must be for the Christian when we have a need to allow God to love us and for us to trust in His provision. We have an enemy, “this body of death”, sin likes to keep us in unbelief, it screams, “look at the proof, there isn’t any, you must be a fool to believe things will turn out alright”.

There is much that could be said on this topic, we are new creatures in Christ “old things have passed away and behold all things have become new.” Can I claim that, I should be able to, as Christ has made the way? And yet how often do I not live as if that is true to my life, forgive me Father God; please enable your Spirit to once again stir my soul so that my life may bring glory to you. You Word is true, help me think on those things and not this “body of death” which in turn leaves a man living in sin.

Signing off

Tyrone