Don’t Worry, Be Thankful!

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Don’t Worry, Be Thankful!

Do you remember the old song sung by  Bobby McFerrin some years ago? “Don’t worry, be happy!” The song tells about different things that could get you down, such as someone stole your bed, your rent is late, and you don’t have a girl to make you smile. But, according to the song, here is the line:

“In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry, you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy!”

But Paul, writing in the book of Philippians, makes it just a little different. Don’t worry, be thankful! Here is what he said in full:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

This gives a couple of things to think about. Its interesting that he starts saying, “Don’t worry”. We know that the Bible is full of “Don’t be afraid”, because God knows us too well, but here is a verse telling us not to worry!

But he doesn’t say to forget it, or to sweep it under a carpet, but to pray about it, one translation says to “but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Note that he didn’t say to stay up all night worrying, or begging God to do something, but “with thanksgiving”, being grateful! 

So what does this gratefulness get you? According to Paul, and if you know anything about his life, you know he had, shall we say opportunities to worry! So here is what you get. You will experience God’s peace! The word for peace here is “security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous). Isn’t that awesome? Not just peace, but God’s peace, or in another way to put it, peace with God! This is something that money cannot buy! And this peace, according to Paul, exceeds anything we can understand!

Now this peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Jesus! This word for guard has a meaning of guarding for preservation! So, this peace preserves your heart and your mind, so that you won’t have the trouble that caused you to worry in the first place! 

So, if you stop worrying, be thankful, give it to Him, then His peace guards, protects and preserves you from the very things that cause you to worry! How about that? Isn’t that good news? 

If you like this, then you should read my blog entitled “Plot Twist!” 

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