Does a deadline make you panic?
Years ago, we hit a big financial bump in the road. I recall the feeling of panic; my neck hurt, I wasn’t sleeping well, and I was constantly worrying. I worked in sales at the time and was hustling as fast and as hard as I could. At the end of each day, I counted up the money I collected and compared it to the payments I needed to make and the gap didn’t seem to be lessening. Money was going out each week for gas and groceries, and my daily sales just weren’t closing the gap.
A friend took me out for a birthday dinner. When she dropped me off, she handed me a birthday card and drove away. I walked inside our home and opened the card. Inside was a check for $1000. I was shocked! I dialed her number and asked, “What is this?” She responded, “Oh Honey, God told me you needed it.”
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians.4:6,7
This is how good God is! He met my need even though I followed none of the instructions in this verse. In fact, my actions reflected thinking of this type:
Worry about your situation so you can get God’s attention. Pace the floor, lose sleep, and talk about your panic, in the hopes that God will feel sorry for you. Earn His respect to show your worth! Book of Worry 1:1
There is a recipe from Philippians 4:6,7
- Decide to resist worry. “Satan, there’s nothing you can tell me that will change what I believe about God. He is watching over me.”
- Express thanksgiving.” Papa, I celebrate who you are. I am grateful to love you and be loved by you. I appreciate that you care about every detail of my life.”
- Petition him. “Papa, I need your help. Today, I need_______________.”
These three steps of this process lead you to the fruit and promise at the end of this verse, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
If you want the peace of God, you must:
- Resist the worry.
- Express gratitude.
- Petition Him with your need.
Maybe you have a deadline that you don’t think you can meet, a workplace problem that is looming over you, or a health issue that seems insurmountable. Whatever the problem, the recipe for peace is the same. If you want to let go and let God, follow God’s recipe in Philippians 4:6,7.