~Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.~ Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
Feeling anxious about something or somebody? Always distracted? Easily disappointed? No focus? Heartbroken? Find yourself feeling envious and jealous of others often? Does the inevitable of your life sometimes seem to be disaster? If you can honestly answer yes to any of these questions, know that there’s hope once you learn to make your requests known.
Today we live among so many distractions and many of us are not even aware of the impact these distractions have on our lives. The access we now have to one another has opened a whole new arena of information; some good, some bad, some TMI, and some actually noteworthy. One has to wonder, though, if our minds are even equipped to handle so much from day to day. Also, along with so much access and information, comes the responsibility of self-control. Such self-control is expected in many different aspects, such as in the way we relate and respond to one another. It is also expected in the activities in which we engage , and in the influence we have over one another. But how do we successfully manage our self-control in a way that is pleasing to God?
Not only do we have so much access to others, but at the same time, we even offer to others, that same access of ourselves. Today, we have the opportunity to share ourselves and our lives in ways that were not so attainable before. Yet again, with the opportunity to offer so much, still comes the responsibility of self-control. Self-control becomes of the utmost importance when we share our lives so that our intentions remain pure. In our walk with God, we must be sure that we intend to please Him with everything we share, at all times. There is room for fun sharing, enlightenment, awareness, and celebrations, as well as many other positive aspects of day to day living. But with such a vast array of openness that we are capable of displaying for others, we must always remember that there are many consequences we are also open to experiencing, especially when our intentions are less than our best. But how do we keep our intentions pure?
Even with all the access to one another and with all the expectations and possible consequences that come along with such, there is indeed a way to have peace through it all. Begin by being anxious for nothing, not even for peace. But let your requests be known to God; not just on social networking where all can read the beauty of your words but also from your voice to His ear. Be honest with yourself about the last time you’ve actually heard yourself speak the words of prayer. Do you really have one on one time with God or have we gotten too far away from true prayer because we’re so busy looking and sounding good to others. When we begin to lose focus, our intentions will suffer the consequences. We’ll begin doing things for the wrong reasons and when that happens, disappointment follows close behind. But when we pray sincerely, not forgetting to say thank you, and letting our requests be made known to God; those desires of our hearts, then and only then will the peace of God take its place in our lives. This peace is what will help us manage our self-control in a way that is pleasing to God. It is this same peace that will help us keep our intentions pure. It is a peace that will override so much disappointment, so much heartbreak, so much hate and envy, confusion and anxiety. But then you may think that with so much information at our fingertips, it is impossible for peace to keep us from so much. Impossible, yes, for our minds to fathom because it is a peace that surpasses all understanding, but not impossible to keep us.
The only way to know these things for sure is to try them. Open your mouth and actually speak the words of prayer….and watch God work. Through it all, be anxious for nothing.
Regards,
Tawana R. Powell
Life Fulfilled; the Ultimate Goal (Amazon.com)
