Thankful in All Circumstances by Captain Catherine Mount
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Do you know when it is difficult for me to be thankful?
When I am distracted. (And, believe me, I am easily distracted.) I have a pretty short attention span, embarrassingly so. I have a train of thought that can start in one place and end up a world away in less than 5 seconds. Distraction is a sly tactic of the Devil.
Philippians 4:6 says, “don’t be anxious about anything”. Another way to translate this phrase is: ‘don’t have a distracting care about anything.’ Hmmm. A distracting care.
Those are the worst kind of distractions, right? The ones that you care about in the very deepest parts of your soul.
It might be . . . your children . . . or your spouse . . . . or your job . . . or an important decision . . . or your future plans . . . or a loved one who is struggling . . . .or ‘fill in the blank’.
Dear friends, when a care becomes a distraction . . . it can steal your thankfulness.
Be careful.
BUT, here is the promise for each of us. When we choose thanksgiving instead of anxiety (distracting care), then we will experience the peace of God.
Wow.
Now, read the last verse. Do you see what happens when we experience God’s peace? It guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus! Yes! It guards us from the very anxiety or care with which Satan will constantly try to distract us.
Oh, friends. Don’t be distracted. Be thankful.
- Are you thankful or anxious?
- When is it difficult for you to be thankful?
- What can you do to let the peace of God into your heart and mind?