JoySample

DAY 3: JOY CONQUERS ANXIETY

One of the reasons joy is so difficult to obtain is because we live in a stress saturated world. Our culture demands that we be efficient, proficient, and fast paced. Our own expectations drive us to be perfectionists and control-oriented. Even our family and friends demand that we be the perfect balance of loyal yet un-clingy. We strive to reach perfection. We want to be everything for everyone, all the time. And, you know what? That’s okay. It’s okay to want to be great, successful, and well-liked. What isn’t okay is thinking we can do so all on our own.

God never meant for you to reach success using only your own ability. He knew you wouldn’t have time for it all and that you would slip up and need help along the way. In fact, when we really think about it, our lack of joy often comes from the anxiety of having to face life’s difficult situations using only our own strength. I think we all subconsciously know that we don’t have enough strength to handle painful and challenging circumstances on our own. So, our brains go into overdrive producing alerts, trying to warn us that the situation we are facing is too heavy for us to carry. That is where stress comes from, and it’s one of joy’s strongest and most successful rivals.

Stress is the result of dozens of anxious thoughts about things you can’t control but are unwilling to lay at God’s feet. It’s the opposite of faith when we subconsciously assume God is going to fail or not show up. When I first began to study this verse, I memorized it. Anytime I received bad news, or experienced a setback I would repeat to myself, “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS!” In those moments, I instantly said a silent prayer about whatever was bothering me. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God...”This became a habit that I still continue today.

There is no point; if I’ve already presented my request to God, He will be the one to work it out. If anything bad is going to happen I trust that in the end, it’ll work together for my good (see Romans 8:28). Because I have that confidence, I can present my requests to God with a thankful heart. There is so much joy in knowing that I don’t have to be sure that everything is going to go according to plan. I just have to do the best I can on my end and trust that things always go according to God’s plan.

Thoughts for Meditation: 

What’s going on in your life right now that you can’t control? What are the thoughts that come up that trigger anxiety in your day to day? List some things that you often try to do in your own strength, and forget to take to God and ask for help: How could you present those things as petitions to God? What could you take off your worry-list, and trust Him to sort out? Take some time to give thanks in advance for what you believe God could do in your life. Make a praise list for things he has already done! 

Prayer: 

Lord, I make the decision today to stop being anxious. Instead, in everything, I will bring you my requests. I will trust that you know what is best for me, and that you will never let me down. Give me the strength to resist the temptation to stress when I don’t know how things are going to work out. Holy Spirit, when things get rough, remind me to pray, so that difficult situations bring me closer to you, instead of further away.