Philippians 4:6-7, English Standard Version

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How do we handle the responsibilities of life? For many people, this is a daily challenge and a source of great stress. We each must be able to eat, and provide food for our loved ones. We all try to have a comfortable place to live and the ability to have clothes to wear. For some, they may even be able to pursue other things that are desirable to have. Working in order to have the basic necessities of life is something that we all must face, and yet, should this truly be a source of stress for those who know the truth of who God is and how much He loves us?

I believe that if you were to examine the lives of those who do not profess to be followers of Christ, and compare them to those who do, you should see a striking difference. I don’t believe that this difference would necessarily be something you could immediately see on the outside. Both those who are for the world, and those who live for Christ, can be rich or poor. sick or healthy. These aren’t the things that make them different. A difference that should be evident is in the peace and joy with which they live their lives. The follower of Christ should not be anxious and stressed out about the day to day worries of this life. Instead, they should live each day with the peace and joy of the Lord, because they know that He is the One who will supply all of their needs according to His riches and glory. While they do need to work, and work as unto the Lord, they will know that they do not need to be concerned with the outcome. Just as the verse says, they should demonstrate the peace of God, which is beyond understanding.  

Unfortunately, the truth of what we see with many Christians today is the opposite. So many are focused on their day to day lives, and concerned with how they will be able to support their family and maintain their lifestyles. They become focused on how to gain and maintain wealth, and in the process, take on a heavy burden in either debt or work.

“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 than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:25-29, NIV)

I challenge you today, examine your life and determine what your focus is on. Do you worry about the stresses of this world, or are you filled with the peace and joy of the Lord?