“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT
By September 2024, I had experienced the deaths of five people close to me. Three of these people were still young. Remembering each experience makes me realise that life is fleeting.
We spend so much time worrying about what we will be like in the future, how we look, how much money we make, and much more. All of these are good, but the approach needs to be corrected. Paul says that instead of worrying, pray about it—this isn’t usually our first strategy. We often think about the problem, try to figure out how to fix it, and get weighed down about it before we remember to pray.
Will prayer solve the problem at once? No. You’ll come out of the place of prayer, and the problem will still exist. The difference is that before praying, there’s worry, but after praying, there’s peace.
That peace comes from the confidence that you’ve received the wisdom needed to solve that problem. You’re no longer handling the issue alone but are now empowered by God’s spirit.
Worry and ingratitude are the hallmarks of a life that doesn’t count blessings. You’ll appreciate today when you understand that you can be gone tomorrow.
How can we work with a sense of peace and gratitude?
The world has taught us that hustle is the way to go. The Word of God has taught us that we can work in the rhythms of grace.
Birds can fly by flapping their wings and then soaring. We sail on the sea in small boats, rowing hard and flowing with the tides.
Just because we want peace doesn’t mean there won’t be effort. But informed effort is what we’re after, not wasted effort.
The hustle lifestyle often leads to much-wasted effort that could have been done differently. We try many things based on human wisdom, push through with human strength, and constantly burn out. We may still get what we want, but that’s after sacrifices we had no business making.
To glide on the rhythm of grace, we work with Godly wisdom and the strength of His Spirit, staying renewed daily. We may get tired along the way, but because we constantly go back to prayer and the Word, we are reminded that God is with us.
This way, we are thankful for every experience, and even when we make mistakes, we are confident that they will work for our good. Many of us have yet to enter that realm where strength and wisdom constantly flow. We do a mix of hustle and grace, switching between the two as we remember.
Remember that each time we try to hustle, there’s always a better and different way. If this stays in our minds, we will constantly be uncomfortable with how we currently do things and want a change.
“I am at peace and full of gratitude.”
Are you constantly burned out, moody, depressed, and low in life? That’s a culture problem.
There’s the Kingdom culture that’s full of peace and thanksgiving. Those who are a part of it are always joyful. It’s a lifestyle to desire; the only way to achieve it is to draw closer to God. He’s constantly calling you and me.
Leave a Reply