“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”          (Philippians 4:6-7, MKJV)

(Personal Preface: Much as I’d like to take full credit for this one, I give credit where credit is due: thanks to my TBN co-worker, Mrs. Edwina Relf, who first shared it with the staff at WMCF-TV in Montgomery, Alabama, and then also with the Women’s Prayer Breakfast at New Life Church of God in Christ, Montgomery, AL. All embellishments are mine, however…)           

            We’ve all done it as kids, and if it’s been a while since you’ve been a kid, you’re reminded of it if you have kids or are around kids for any length of time… Exactly who you went to usually depended upon whether or not you were an only child, the oldest child, (such as I am,) or the younger child in a set of siblings. But here’s the scenario: it’s a nice day outside and you’re playing with your friends, your siblings, your cousins, or whomever you hung out with when playing. All of a sudden it happens: the neighborhood bully comes up, and you’re picked out to be picked on! Or if it wasn’t that drastic, one of your playmates either makes you mad or hurts your feelings, and then all of a sudden it comes out: you get upset and you say, “I’m gonna tell my daddy (mama, big brother, big sister, nanna…) on you!” and then you run off and do so! Whomever you went to tell, once you had done so, you relaxed, because you knew that whomever you told would go out and handle the situation; big brother or big sister would go out there to beat them up, or mama or daddy would go outside and lay down the law, and you could find rest in that thing, because you knew they wouldn’t be picking on you for the rest of the day… However, there was always the risk that if you did tell somebody, you would be labeled a “tattletale”…

            Now, the reason I even mentioned the very last part of that statement (and this wasn’t part of the original message,) is simply that being labeled a “tattletale” was a fear tactic; in other words, whomever it was you were telling your “rescuer” on would try to put the doubt in your mind that who you went to tell would not listen to you and there would be dire consequences if you did tell, if not that time, maybe the next time. Well, that’s exactly how Satan manages to keep most of us in bondage: by keeping us so tied up in fear that if we went to God to tell Him all about our problems, He wouldn’t listen to us, and then really wouldn’t want to deal with us because after all, we messed up somewhere along the line… But, as I hope you can clearly see, that completely goes against the grain of what we’ve read above from Paul’s pen: “Be anxious for NOTHING!” “…In EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication (humble and earnest prayer), let your requests be made known!”

            Jesus solidifies this position in at least a couple of passages: in Matthew 6, from The Message translation Jesus says this:

            “…don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body…

            “…What I’m trying to get you to do here is relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God fuss over these things, but you both know God and how He works… Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday concerns will be met.”

            Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? Jesus lets us know in no uncertain terms that “your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you even ask.” Jesus even offers Himself as a comfort to you in Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV):

            “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

            I could quote several other passages, but I think you already see the point of this one: we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, who cares for us, and did not design us to go throughout the day worried or concerned about anything! So, take your worries, take your concerns, take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there!!! When you go to Him, He replaces your worries with His peace, and it’s the kind you can’t explain, you just know when you have it, and there is no greater feeling in the world… So the next time the problems of everyday life threaten to get you down, or Satan tries to torment you with your past, take a lesson from your kids (or your own childhood,) and tell them all: “I’m gonna tell my Daddy on you!”

So BE BLESSED and stop worrying!

Cedric (Pastor Ced)