Obedience Without Anxiety


“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.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

If you feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision that you’re trying to make, you’re probably caught up in yourself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33a NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if you’re feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in your life.

If you’re a parent, do you want your kids to feel pressure or confused when you ask them to do something? No. You want them to understand what to do and then respond in obedience. God the Father wants the same thing for and from us.

The only time pressure could be legitimate is if God’s told you to do something, and you keep saying “no.” Then the pressure does build. But there’s always peace when you say “yes” to what God’s asking you to do.

Satan wants to drive us compulsively, but God wants to draw us compassionately. Satan wants to take advantage of our compulsions and use them to drive our lives. But God is our Good Shepherd. He wants to draw us in toward himself and peace.

Peter Lord used to say, “Ninety percent of what God wants to say to you is encouragement.” If all you ever hear from God is negative messages, something’s wrong. The wires have been crossed.

If you feel like God’s told you to do something but you have increasing anxiety because of it, then the wires are crossed. Something’s not right.

The Bible us, “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” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

Talk It Over
- What decision do you feel troubled or anxious or worried about? Do you believe this is something God told you to do?
- According to Philippians 4:6-7, what do you need to do?
- What has God told you to do that you haven’t obeyed? What has been the effect?

~ Written by: Rick Warren ~

~ Modified by: Oleg Fab ~

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Nagging Never Works

Image
Have you noticed how many difficult people there are in the world? Do you feel like you have to deal with most of them some days? You know what rude acts bug me the most? People who call me and then say, “Who is this?” People who honk their horns in traffic jams. People who cheat in the 10-items-or-less grocery line. People who steal your parking spot. The list goes on, and I’m sure you can relate. So, how should we respond in love to difficult people? Proverbs 16:21 says, “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is” (TEV). The more pleasant you are, the more persuasive you are. And, you’re never persuasive when you’re abrasive. Nagging doesn’t work. The way you say something determines the way it’s received. If you say something offensively, it’s going to be received defensively. That’s why love is all about your words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful. Tact and tone always go together. It matters
Read more

Go on Mission Together

Image
“Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people His message.”   (Colossians 4:3 NCV) You were made for a mission. God wants you to share His love with other people — your friends, family, and the people you work with — who are not in His family. Why does He want you to do that? Because God wants everybody in His family. God has never made a person He didn’t love and have a purpose for. God has never made a person that Jesus Christ didn’t die for. So God wants us to share that Good News. But you’re not alone! God wants you to go on mission with other people. Philippians 1:27 says,  “You are standing side by side with one strong purpose — to tell the Good News”   (TLB). How do you share with your friends that God loves them? And how do you do it in partnership with other people? You do it through your small group. First, you pray together. You ask your small group to pray for your friends who don’t have a relationship with God. You can’t for
Read more