Don't Let Anxiety and Worry

Injure Your Soul

by Cathy Deaton
















Disclaimer

Much care has been taken to ensure that the information presented in this article is accurate. However,
the reader should understand that the information provided does not constitute legal, medical or
professional advice of any kind.

No Liability: this product is supplied as is and without warranties. All warranties, express or implied,
are hereby disclaimed.

Use of this product constitutes acceptance of the No Liability policy. I shall not be liable for any
losses or damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, consequential loss or damage) directly or
indirectly arising from the use of this product.




Philippians 4:6-7 The Message (MSG)
6-7
Dont fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises
shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you
know it, a sense of Gods wholeness, everything coming together for good,
will come and settle you down. Its wonderful what happens when Christ
displaces worry at the center of your life.
These are two awesome verses that tell us how we can have peace every
day and on every occasion, no matter what happens.
As I read these verses the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to do an in-depth
study of their meanings in the Greek language.
What I found had a profound effect on me. I have read these verses over
and over, but I never thought about the words "shall keep" in verse 7 as
being so powerful. BUT it is the 3 words that come before the words "shall
keep" that tell the real story.
Here are the same two verses in the King James Version plus what
the Barnes Commentary says about the main phrases of each:
6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Be careful for nothing - This does not mean that we are to exercise no care about worldly
matters or provide for our families, but that there is to be such confidence in God as to free the
mind from anxiety, and such a sense of dependence on him as to keep it calm.
But in everything - Everything in reference to the supply of your wants, and the wants of
your families; everything in respect to afflictions, embarrassments, and trials; and everything
relating to your spiritual condition. There is nothing which pertains to body, mind, estate,
friends, conflicts, losses, trials, hopes, fears, in reference to which we may not go and spread it
all out before the Lord.
By prayer and supplication - The word rendered supplication is a stronger term than
the former. It is the mode of prayer which especially arises from the sense of need, or want -
from deomai, to want, to need.
With thanksgiving - Thanksgiving connected with prayer. The greatest sufferer that lives in
this world of redeeming love, and who has the offer of heaven before him, has cause of gratitude.
Let your request be made known unto God - Not as if you were to give him information,
but to express to him your wants. God needs not to be informed of our necessities, but he
requires that we come and express them to him. (from Barnes Bible Commentary)



7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
And the peace of God - The peace which God gives. The peace here particularly referred to
is that which is felt when we have no anxious care about the supply of our needs, and when we
go confidently and commit everything into the hands of God.
Which passeth all understanding - That is, which surpasses all that people had conceived
or imagined. The expression is one that denotes that the peace imparted is of the highest
possible kind. The Christian, committing his way to God, and feeling that he will order all things
aright, has a peace which is nowhere else known.
Shall keep your hearts and minds - That is, shall keep them from anxiety and agitation.
The idea is, that by thus making our requests known to God, and going to him in view of all our
trials and wants, the mind would be preserved from distressing anxiety. The way to find peace,
and to have the heart kept from trouble, is thus to go and spread out all before the Lord. The
word rendered here shall keep, is a military term, and means that the mind
would be guarded as a camp or castle is. It would be preserved from the intrusion
of anxious fears and alarms.
Through Christ Jesus - By his agency, or intervention. It is only in him that the mind can
be preserved in peace. (from Barnes Bible Commentary)
If you just skipped over these verses and commentary, please go back and
read them in-depth. The Holy Spirit can use a true understanding of this to
change your life forever.
In the Greek "shall keep" means: a keepwatch or guard with a garrison
Meaning of garrison: a body of troops stationed in a fortified place; to
occupy a fort, post, station, with troops
***
I got excited as I read the meaning of "shall keep" in this verse. I had read
this before, but I never realized how much power the peace of God can
produce when you let it control your life.
The Bible says the peace of God will be like a whole garrison of troops to
guard your heart and mind when you make the decision to not let anxiety
and worry control your thoughts.
So
*when you get before God and pour out your problems to Him
*then give them all to Him to resolve in whatever way He desires
*HIS PEACE will overtake your mind like a garrison of soldiers guarding a
fort so the enemy Satan won't be able to overtake it.


That fact is absolutely awesome for every follower of God. We don't have to
be down-and-out about problems that try to overtake us. Many of them we
will never be able to solve anyway without God's help. They just hold us
hostage and keep us prisoner even though there are no physical walls.
We seem to think that if we don't worry about a problem it means
that we are not concerned about it.
The truth is, you make a choice either way - to worry or not to worry. If you
choose the first option it can eventually cause major health problems
because of the terrible things stress can do to your body.
I almost allowed extreme stress to destroy my health at one time, and I
never want to go there again.
It took several months for me to get my physical and mental health back to
100%.
As I prayed about it later, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I had made a
huge decision on my own without consulting God. Even though what I did
was a good thing, Satan knew I was out of the will of God and set a trap. I
stepped right into the trap, and almost suffered disastrous consequences.
Satan is always looking to destroy us whenever possible, and I almost gave
him the chance.
I still think that somehow God must have intervened to keep me from being
totally destroyed and I thank Him so much for that. He gave me mercy and
grace that I didn't deserve.
***
Having the peace of God under the most trying of circumstances is
something you will never be able to achieve when you try to handle things
on your own.
The peace of God is a supernatural thing that can only come from God. We
must do things His Way and on His Terms in order to receive His Peace.
Dake's Reference Bible says in the commentary about these verses: Do not
tolerate anxiety or worry, for it will injure your own soul.
God tells us this for a reason - to keep us strong and in the best of physical,
mental, and spiritual health. I definitely found out the hard way that
constant anxiety for an extended period of time does affect you negatively in
every way. Even my young grandchildren sensed that something was very
wrong.


God is capable of handling any problem, not matter how large or small.
BUT you must make the decision to allow Him to handle it. When you have
done that, the peace of God can then flood your mind and heart and you will
have a certainty that God is in control no matter what the physical
circumstances look like.
You have the power to make the choice. Will you choose worry and
anxiety or will you choose the Peace of God?







Cathy Deaton is the founder of Fan the Flame Ministries.

God has shown her that He is remarkable in every way, and that
He truly is a God of the "Impossible." She has written Handbook
for Victorious Christian Living, which gives practical ways to learn
how to live a victorious Christian life.

Check out her blog called Who God Is below and also her other
sites. Everything written there is "evergreen" and will be
relevant whenever you read it.

May God bless you as you seek His Will and serve Him in
whatever way He leads.

http://handbook-victorious-christian-living.com

http://who-god-is.com

http://www.cathydeaton.com

http://blueprintvictoriouschristianliving.com

http://thevictoriouschristian.com