Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, that you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not worry 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.

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Are you are worrier? What makes you anxious? Some of us are more stress-prone than others. Imagine if we were able to make a list of all the worries of everyone on campus (from student to faculty and staff). Our “worry list” would likely include things such as: a bad test grade; finishing a project for class on time; awaiting the results of a medical test; paying my mortgage payment this month; etc. Although most of us look fine and functional on the surface, each one of us carries with us a bag of worries wherever we go. Maybe a few people know about some of our concerns, but I doubt that someone besides us has seen everything in our bag.

“Do not worry” is a phrase used often in the Bible. Paul tells us in Philippians not to worry about anything (4:6). Jesus instructs his disciples and the crowds not to worry in Matthew. He tells them and us not to worry, “about our lives, what you will eat or drink…or food or clothes” (Matt. 6:25-28). For many of us, the notion of not worrying about any of life’s basics is an unrealistic expectation.

No one in scripture negates the fact that problems exist in our world. There are things that we should be concerned about and pay attention to. Jesus does not instruct us to put our heads in the sand and pretend that our troubles will go away; rather, scripture warns us that problems themselves should not be the driving force behind our living. Solving the issues in our “worry bag” is not what life is all about. Spending our time and energy being reactive is not helpful to anyone and can cause damage to our spiritual life. The fact is that problems will always arise. We never finish worrying.

In the midst of our troubles we need to redirect our focus from the troublesome to the spiritual. The anxiety we feel in the midst of our problems, in part, stems from a lack of connectedness that God is the one in control of our lives. Jesus tells us, “seek first his kingdom and righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Paul instructs us to present our requests to God, “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving” (Phil. 4:6). When difficult times arise (and they will) we need to make sure that our lives are anchored in the Lord. Doing this won’t make all our problems magically disappear. We still have assignments do and difficult decisions to make; however, we will be better equipped to handle these things.

Putting God first requires an intentional effort on our part. We have to give God one of our most prized possessions, our time. It is difficult to build a relationship when we don’t take the time to invest in it. We all connect with God in different ways, but it is imperative that we make that connection a priority. Find a time this week to pack your problems away and come to God to be fed spiritual food. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matt. 6:34).

Prayer: God, I confess that I spend more time worrying than focusing on you. Help me Lord to refocus my life on what matters most. Instill in me faith and patience to handle anything that comes my way.