Philippians 4:6 – ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’
According to the Anxiety and Depression Organization of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in America today. In the last decade, the diagnosis has jumped over 1200%. In a survey of 14 countries, the World Mental Health organization identified America as the most anxious country.
The biblical word translated as anxious means to have a divided mind. Another fitting English word would be ‘uncertainty.’ If you are dealing with uncertainty that’s making you anxious, it’s important to remember you can control your thoughts.
Jesus calls satan, ‘the king deceiver.’ He comes to cast doubt, to distort, to discourage, to distract, and to divide. As Christians, we are called to take every thought captive unto Christ.
Don Joseph Goewey wrote an article in the Huffington Post reminding us that 85% of the things we worry about never happen. Of the 15% of things we worry about that do happen, 79% of people find they can handle the difficulty better than they thought they could and the difficulty taught them lessons worth learning. His conclusion: 97% of what you worry about is just a fearful mind punishing you with exaggerations and misconceptions.
Jesus is calling you to redirect your energy from worrying to casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.
Thank you Jesus for caring about me. Thank you for giving me everything I need for life and godliness. Help me to direct my worries to you and rest in your wisdom and sufficiency. Amen.