Anxious for Nothing

I have one more quick note before the holiday:

Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:6-7 NKJV

This post should really have “Dear Jennifer” at the top, but feel free to read along as I let the Spirit admonish and encourage me. I have a big family, so there’s always something that needs doing, and it’s very easy to slide into anxiety. I can go from setting the table to a whirling dervish struggling under the weight of the world in no time at all. And when I do that, I miss out on SO MUCH.

I love Ephesians 4:6-7 because it feels like God is talking to me specifically, right now. Anxiety is not a given, and I constantly forget that! I don’t have to dance with the frantic – I have a choice. So the first thing God does is remind me of that. “Don’t let anxiety in the door, Jennifer!” Instead, I’m to turn to Him, and the only thing He asks of me is that I do so “with thanksgiving.”

Even if I feel ten miles removed from grateful, I can bow my will to thank God, and then trust that the life of Christ will rise on that choice. In fact, that’s pretty much what He’s promising us here. We say no to fear and anxiety and turn to God with thanksgiving, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I would love to move through the holidays with my heart and mind guarded by the peace of God. How amazing that will be! A mind uncluttered by the chittering horde of frenzy will be clear for the thoughts of the Spirit. A heart that isn’t thumping itself to death in hurry and worry will be a clean vessel for all the Love and blessing the Lord wants to pour out.

May we all receive the abundant grace God gives us so that we can experience the miracle of His peace and calm in the midst of any chaos – even the happy kind!