As of this piece being written, the Bible verse of the Day comes from Hebrews 11:6. It states that "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." While reflecting on this verse, I could not help but be reminded of an article that I recently wrote for my church:
While entering my senior year of college, I have noticed that my thoughts as of late have been very reflective of the experience. Even though my journey was met with many challenges, I would say that is has been a relatively successful journey. All of that said, I could not help but be reminded of how the last few years have been characterized by anxiousness in the context of relationships. This anxiousness, while not detrimental, proved to be distracting at times.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, anxiousness can be best defined as “an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble.” The key word in the definition here is possibility, as every aspect of said definition is dependent on it. This definition can be further understood as displaced faith; faith that has been replaced. Anxiousness, at its core, concerns itself with ‘what if’s’ rather than ‘what is’.
In Philippians 4, Paul speaks on how to handle this anxiousness. He states “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phillippians 4:6-7). The moment that we cast our needs and concerns on Him, we are covered. He has officially taken hold of our plights. Our business is now handled. Why do we worry ourselves with that which is taken care of?
Pastor Jerry Weinzierl of Grace Christian Church recently talked about how we are so concerned about ‘how’ things are handled as opposed to ‘who’ handled it. If the ‘how’ in our situation is not resolved, we often respond with displeasure. Why? Because we do not know or understand the process behind our situation being handled. In an odd coincidence, I watched a sermon by Joel Osteen in which he used the phrase “God’s got this”. In his sermon, he emphasized how we will not always figure out our issues, and that the best way to go about them is to Let go and let God.
Anxiousness should not have ANY hold when faith steps in. When you act on faith and allow God to take the lead, you have made a way for peace to enter your life. It is handled. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
Proclaiming that 'It is handled' IS a declaration of faith. We do not know what will happen, or what the outcome of our situation will be. What is it that you are declaring over your life at this moment?
