Read
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 4:6-7
Reflect
Ed is anxious about money. Each month he seems to make just enough to cover costs, but he knows that one major expense could throw the family budget upside down.
His wife, Joan, is anxious about their children, Tim and Courtney. They’ve seemed a little distant lately, and she’s worried that they’ve made some new friends who might not be good for them.
Tim is anxious about school. He hasn’t been spending as much time on homework and assignments lately as he should, and his grades are rapidly falling. His senior year is coming up, and college acceptances are hanging in the balance.
Courtney is anxious about her family. Her parents seem preoccupied lately and don’t seem to spend much time together, and her brother is falling behind in school. She seems to be the only one in the family holding things together.
Anxiety shows up in our lives at various times and in different places, and it takes a lot of forms. In most cases, it’s easily interchanged with the word “worry.” Ed is worried about money. Joan is worried about her kids. Tim is worried about his grades. And Courtney is worried about everything and everyone.
The problem with worry is not that it actually takes God out of control, because it cannot. The problem is that worry pushes God out of the place of trust in our own hearts. He’s never actually off the throne, but when we worry, we often live as though the burden has been placed entirely on us.
Worry is our feeble human attempt at controlling the uncontrollable, and it replaces worship, prayer and Spirit-led action. In our anxiety, we often demonstrate our unbelief that God can and will provide what we need. We may not say that out loud, but our anxious hearts often reveal what our words would never admit.
If we offered our worries to the Lord, as He commands us to do, we might find that the first breakthrough is not always a changed circumstance, but a guarded heart, a clearer mind and the wisdom to take the next faithful step. Philippians does not promise that every problem will instantly disappear. It promises something just as necessary: the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I’m sure that you have circumstances right now that you could worry about. Today, name the places where worry has been pretending to give you control. Place those concerns before the Lord. Ask Him to meet your greatest needs, guide your next steps and give you peace in the middle of what you cannot control.
Enjoyed this? Subscribe and get future reflections, bourbon notes, and assorted nonsense delivered straight to your inbox.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
