Anxious for Nothing for Young Readers by Max LucadoSample

Way to go! The fact that you have opened this plan says a lot about you. I am so very proud of you for wanting an answer to this question: How do I deal with worry? Many people never seek that answer. They assume that anxiety comes with life. To a degree, they are correct. Anxiety comes with life. But anxiety shouldn’t take over your life.

Good for you for working to get a hold on this problem before it gets a hold on you. I pray that God will use this plan to equip you with tools for battling the enemy of worry. 

Worry is when we let tomorrow’s problems ruin today. There is nothing wrong with being prepared for tomorrow. Nor is it wrong to have a healthy concern for tomorrow. But worrying goes beyond preparation and healthy concern. Worry attempts to solve tomorrow’s problems today. This is what led Jesus to say: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

The Greek word for worry used in the Scriptures is a wonderful compound of two words that mean “divide” and “the mind.” To worry, then, is to divide the mind. Anxiety splits our energy between today’s plans and tomorrow’s problems. The result is half-minded living.

So, how can we overcome half-minded living? In the book of Philippians, Paul wanted his friends to know they didn’t have to worry about their lives because God was taking care of them. He wrote to them in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.” 

Paul wasn’t saying we should never feel anxious again. What he was saying is that we shouldn’t feel anxious all the time. Because when we’re anxious all the time, that feeling can take over our lives. And when that happens, it’s hard to feel joy.

Let’s read more of what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4–9:

Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.

Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.

Worry is something we can overcome using the acronym C-A-L-M. 

C – Celebrate God and His Goodness. In verse 4, Paul says “Be full of joy in the Lord always.” When we remember who He is and what He has done, we can feel full of joy in a way that makes us want to celebrate Him through worship.

A – Ask God for Help. In verse 6, Paul says, “Pray and ask God for everything you need.” When we pray and ask God for help, we let Him take our worries from us. We don’t have to carry them ourselves.

L - Look on the Bright Side. Verse 6 also contains the phrase, “Always giving thanks.” Remembering to thank God for the good things in our lives helps us see our situations with more positivity.

M - Meditate on Good Things. In verse 8, Paul says, “Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.” When we meditate on good things, our brains and hearts feel more peaceful.

Today, we will start with C – Celebrate God and His Goodness. 

Paul experienced a lot of storms in his life. His worst storm was probably while he was in prison in Rome. At this point, he was about sixty years old. While in jail, he wrote our C-A-L-M text to the Philippians.

Can you imagine writing “Be full of joy in the Lord always” when you are chained up and don’t know if you’ll ever be free? As he wrote, Paul knew that he could die in prison or be killed by the Romans.

But still, Paul wrote, “Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy” (Philippians 4:4). This is Paul’s first instruction that will help with our anxieties: be full of joy in the Lord. And Paul didn’t want us to rejoice in the Lord only one time or sometimes. What did he say? “Be full of joy in the Lord always.” And then, as if we didn’t hear him the first time, he wrote, “I will say again, be full of joy.”

But how is it possible to celebrate God all the time? Sometimes we’re sad and don’t feel like celebrating. Sometimes we’re anxious and don’t feel joyful.

To celebrate God simply means we remember how good God is no matter what is going on in our lives.

Paul never stopped celebrating God. He remembered what God had done for him, even when he was in prison.  One belief that comes up a lot in Paul’s writing is this: God is sovereign. Sovereignty describes God’s perfect control and management of the universe. He is in charge, and He is involved in all of His creation.  

When it comes to anxiety, understanding God’s sovereignty is huge. We often get anxious when we feel like we don’t have control over our situations. 

My friend, peace doesn’t come once you get control of everything in your life, because that will never happen! Peace comes when you believe God is sovereign. When you trust Him with your worries and anxieties, you can feel peace even though you don’t have control of everything— because God does have control. What a relief!

The next time you fear the future, remind yourself to be full of joy in God’s sovereignty. Remember what He has already done for you. Celebrate that He is able to do what you cannot do.