Joy & Living Beyond Anxiety

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 

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.

Philippians 4:4-7 NRSVue

I noticed that one of the scripture readings for this past Sunday was the few verses from the New Testament letter that are one of my middle-of-the-night mantras. I repeat then for comfort when the problems of the world are amplified and scenarios of dread rise up even though they would seem foolish in the light of day. 

It begins with an invitation to joy with a promise that God is at hand. Then there is the phrase that is a bit of a jolt. Don't be anxious about anything? Really?! Still, this is a powerful statement in a time when we anxious about just about everything; the economy, the climate crisis, violence and wars, the Orange One...killer bagged carrots, for cryin' out loud. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise to hear from Christianity Today that bible search apps offers this info for 2024: 

Philippians 4:6 was the most shared, bookmarked, and highlighted passage on the YouVersion Bible app and was named its 2024 verse of the year:  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4 was also the most read New Testament chapter on BibleGateway.com. Overall, the site’s annual rankings skew toward the Psalms, which represent nearly all of the top 25 verses. BibleGateway’s most read verse was Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Hey, if we have comfort foods, why not comfort verses? I'm also inclined to repeating (silently)  the 23rd Psalm in the wee hours although it can get a little comical keeping the phrases straight in my groggy state. 

I also regularly visit Matthew 6 where Jesus comments about God's love for the birds of the air, the flowers of the field, and us. This passage ends with verse 34: 

 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Amen.