Has the anxiety ever been so bad you were completely irrational? Overwhelmed with worry?
I’ve been there. I’ve had many of the same thoughts you’ve had in those moments go through my head.
You’re never going to be able to get caught up.
There’s no way out of this situation.
This relationship will never be restored.
You’ll never measure up.
Believing the lies we hear in our heads is the essence of irrationality.
What I find interesting is that God’s alternative to irrational anxiety is actually irrational peace.
Paul writes this to the Philippians from prison…
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 4:7 NLT
Hold on to that phrase describing God’s peace for a moment: which exceeds anything we can understand.
Now read it in the Amplified Bible (a translation designed to help you understand the fullest meaning of the Bible’s original languages),
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:7 Amplified
In other words, Paul is saying, when you’re worried, pray about it. Then God will respond by giving you a kind of peace that isn’t logical. It isn’t rational. It isn’t understandable within the capacity of our finite minds.
His peace will be so powerful, it won’t make sense.
It won’t seem to fit the situation at all.
When that diagnosis comes… when the bank account hits zero… when our loved one goes home… it hurts. We grieve. We weep.
But we also experience a peace that doesn’t seem to make sense in the moment.
When we should be experiencing chaos, we can have an irrational kind of peace instead.
Whatever you’re facing right now, try this…
- Pray about it.
- Thank God for what he has already done.
- Wait for his peace.
