A word for young worriers
My son turned 18 last month. Yikes! This event got me thinking about my own experience and what counsel I might give to young adults heading out of the home and into the world.
My first decade as an adult was indeed full of adventure and discovery. To be more accurate: these were years full of anxiety and heartache. You see, when I was a child, I didn’t know anything about the world, but I didn’t have to worry so much because my parents made all the important decisions for me. Then I left home … I still didn’t know anything, but suddenly I had to make life-changing choices on my own – a truly terrifying prospect!
It was during this time that I learned a passage of Scripture that served me well. I learned it by heart – not out of discipline, but desperation. It spoke a clear and powerful word to my worries and fears, and I would recite and apply it nearly every day: Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
This wonderful passage promised me “the peace of God.” Yes – that’s what I need! I need Him to replace my fears and confusion with His perfect peace. In this short passage, He gives me clear direction where and how I may find such peace:
The Peace of God is only found in Christ Jesus.
This promise is not for everyone; it is only for those who are in Christ Jesus. That’s because Jesus is the only one who died for our sins and conquered death by his resurrection. Sin (which separates us from God) and death (which looms over us all) are the true source of all our fears. This promise of forgiveness and eternal life is held out for all who will repent and believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus himself is our peace! (Eph. 2:14)
The Peace of God is given to those who ask.
In Christ, we know that we have God’s peace, but we do not always feel it. That is why we must express every anxiety as a prayer to the Lord. It is not for us to harbor and hold on to our frustrations and longings, but to speak them out loud, confess them to the Lord and share our burdens with good Christian friends who can also pray with (and for) us.
We are like sheep who are always going astray and getting into trouble. When this happens, our anxious thoughts can actually be very helpful … they are like the howling of wolves in the darkness which can frighten us foolish sheep back into the arms of our Good Shepherd.
The Peace of God is received by those who give thanks.
Our prayer requests must be accompanied with thanksgiving. God is the giver of every good thing, and we must always acknowledge this. In the midst of our worries, let us remember to give thanks for all that He has done for us already and all that He has promised to do for us. One of the great hymns of our faith exhorts us: “Count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!” Giving thanks to God takes our minds off of our failures and frailties and sets them on God’s love and power for us in Christ. This fills our hearts with joy, and God’s perfect love casts out all fear!
To all the young worriers out there, take this word to heart. If you would know God’s peace: look to Jesus Christ, connect with His people, call upon His name, present your requests to God through Him and always give thanks to God for Him.
As Martin Luther once said: “When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved. But when I look at Jesus, I don’t see how I can be lost.”
Michael John is the pastor of Market Street Baptist Church in Amesbury, MA.