???Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God??? (NKJV)

 

 

???Do not be anxious about anything??? (NIV)

 

???In nothing be anxious??? (ASV-American Standard Version)

 

???Let no care trouble you??? (CON)

 

???Entertain no worry??? (BEV)

  

 

The Greek ???Merimma??? means anxiety.  A study of the word ???CARE??? gives more insight into the meaning of anxiety.

  

 

A care is a burden, worry, or anxiety.

 

This relates to a mental rather than physical state of being drawn in different directions.

 

A care is a distraction of the mind.

 

 ???DRAWN IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS???- suggests that a person is:

 

??       Distracted- distraction

??       Divided-division

??       Worried-worry

??       Anxious-anxiety

 

Here, through breaking down (for the sake of interpretation and understanding) the word ???CARE??? we are able to understand what Apostle Paul was teaching in Phil 4:6.

 

Phil 4:6 urges believers in Christ not to take onboard the ???cares of this world??? that leave us anxious.

 

 

Jesus promises to bear our burdens.

 

???Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! (Mtt 11:28) NKJV

 

 

???All you who are weary and over burdened??? (PHI)

 

???All whose work is hard, whose load is heavy???(NEB)

 

The scriptures and message are to people on divine mission and assignment. Hence it is important that we understand our mission which is the burden the Lord gives you to bear for Him. Jesus??? burdens are ???LIGHT???.

 

 

To believers who are aligned with God???s heart, He promises ???REST???.

 

???And I will refresh you???- Mof (a new translation of the bible by James Moffatt).

 

???And I, yes, I will lead you into rest???- WMS (The New Testament: A Translation in the Language of the People (Charles B Williams).

 

So, no matter what you face as a child of God, as a believer in Christ who is bearing His burden (doing the works of Christ), the word of the Lord to you today is

 

 ???BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING??? not ???BE ANXIOUS FOR SOMETHINGS???. 

 

There is a sense of finality to the word NOTHING.  We know God does not lie:

 

Nums 23:19

Is 55:10-11

Roms 3:3

 

      PARABLE OF THE SOWER: (Mtt 13:9)

 

Jesus spoke in the parable of the Sower of the cares of the world that choke the word of the Kingdom of God. We must not allow the cares of this world rule our hearts.  Jesus is able to look after everything that pertains to His children. So again, we are encouraged to trust him with all anxiety,

 

 

???Casting all your care upon Him, For He cares for you???

 

The word ???care??? in the scripture above bears the same meaning as ???anxiety???. Therefore, we are urged to cast all anxiety unto Jesus who cares tremendously for us.

 

 

???Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you;  He shall never permit the righteous to be moved???

 

 

???Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him,

And he shall bring it to pass???

 

The above scriptures linked together support one another, and give the same message as Philippians 4 verse 6. The message is clear, that we as the children of the living God are not to allow ???ANXIETY??? rule and govern our hearts.  We must not allow the fear that comes with anxiety rule in our minds which is where our intellect is housed. The heart has the same relation to the soul as the mind to the spirit.  

 

 

NOT ADVOCATING CARELESSNESS:

 

Phil 4:6 is not advocating carelessness or neglect of our affairs or property. There is no suggestion of abdication of responsibility to earthly things (including material possessions) entrusted in our care. The message rather is that as believers in Christ Jesus we are to become so reliant on the Lord that the confidence we have is anchored in His ability to protect us and to bring to pass His promises to us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul exhorted his spiritual son Timothy who was prone to fear in his ministry in Ephesus perhaps due to his age and inexperience at the time.  Paul pointed out that Timothy needed to function in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit???s fullness (1 Tim 1:18, 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6).

 

Speaking of the suffering that goes with being steadfast in Christ Paul encouraged Timothy to be fearless in the face of death

 

 

???For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day??? (2 Tim 1:12)

 

Here, Paul was speaking of fearlessness in the face of physical death. Today, we live under threat from terrorism, nuclear accidents and even natural disasters. Do we allow these fears rule in our hearts and minds so we live our lives controlled by our environment and news or shall we believe the word of the Lord to cast our anxieties upon Jesus?

 

Death, Paul pointed out has been abolished in the coming of Christ so now we have a new life (immortality) through the gospel.  The thought and implication of what Paul was teaching Timothy is quite profound.  Paul was literally pointing out that ???fear of death??? had no place in the life of a believer because Jesus has destroyed ???death??? and has given us His eternal life.  Our physical bodies may die but our spirit man transcends into a place of eternal rest.  Osama Bin Laden does not have this revelation, if Al Qaeda knew that believers do not die, they would not make preposterous threats to a country where believers live.  If believers had the full revelation of who they are in Christ Jesus, and Who Christ is in them our corporate cry as watchmen and as intercessors with Christ will be ???NOT ON MY WATCH???! 

 

But we must first find our alignment in the corporate assignment of the church in the nation.  Whatever is done in the name ???Christian??? that is not advancing our corporate call as outlined in Mark 16 vs. 15, and Matthew 28 vs. 18 takes us away from the protection of my present message ???be anxious for nothing???.

 

If you are not obeying the commission to ???make disciples of men???, and to ???preach the gospel to all creature??? then you need to be anxious.

 

Those who suffer for doing the perfect will of Christ are candidates for God???s vindication and promotion as the scriptures support.

 

 

???Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful Creator???

 

So long as a believer is aligned with the will of God for their life, anxiety will seek to attack to destabilize. Therefore, REJECT ANXIETY!

 

Every bit of burden we carry that is not from the Lord such as baggage from other people???s emotions must be left at the feet of Jesus.

 

 

 

The strength to drop the cares of this world or the cares others have passed on to you comes from the Lord.  The prophetic ears of many believers are blocked from hearing the moaning and critical words that have become a way of life in today???s Christian life.  Paul exhorting timothy said,

 

???Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus??? (2 Tim 1:2).

 

 

 

I went through a phase in my Christian journey when I used to get impatient with people who bellowed ???amen??? to every word and especially when it was obvious they were not listening because the ???amen??? came instead of silence. I wish I could convince those brothers and sisters to resume bellowing ???amen??? but this time to make it louder. We are in a season of agreement; of partnership with heaven. An agreement does not transfer rights unless ???agreed??? by signature and sealed.  We need to have an ear to heaven and when we receive revelation we must bellow ???AMEN???!

 

 

 

 

Cares of the world come to entrap believers (Hebs 12:1-2).

 

Cares of the world bring division in the mind of the believer, causing compromise to rise up which then challenges God???s word in their life.

 

Anxiety comes to angle a believer out of God???s promises for their life

 

Anxiety comes to distract a believer so that their eyes are taken of Jesus Christ??????the Author and Finisher of our faith??? (Hebs 12:2) 

 

 

 

???Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

 

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind??? (2 Tim 1: 6-7)

 

 

 

We must win the war waged against believers in Christ.  The Lord already battled and won for us (Col 2:15), we just must function in a ???mindset??? that appropriates the gains of Christ???s victory.  However, we need to activate all supernatural ability of God in us in other to function as an overcoming army of God. 

  

 ???Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership???

 

We must not allow ANXIETY rob us of vision and purpose,

 

???According to the prophecies previously made concerning you that by them you may wage a good warfare (1 Tim 1:18).

 

With the declared word of God in hand, we must battle against every ploy of the enemy to steal our purpose and destiny through ANXIETY or DIVIDED ATTENTION which leaves us DISTRACTED.

 

No matter the length of time you have carried yours and every other persons baggage, now is the time to hand them over to Jesus. We cannot pretend to live stress free lives but the fact is Jesus is offering what He offered over 2,000years ago; stress free life for you and me.

 

???Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on,

That I may lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ also laid hold of me??? (Phil 3:12)

 

The Lord needs you and He needs you without baggage hence He died so your baggage could be lifted off you.

 

1.    What is your purpose- vision

 

2.    Do you know why you were called- goal

 

3.    Are you reaching out to fulfil your goal- application

 

 

By attempting to answer this question you will discover so much about yourself you were not aware, you will recognise abilities you never knew you had and strength to put together an organisational plan to manage the multiple abilities Jesus transferred to you at Calvary.

 

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING (Phil 4:6)

 

Pt 2- Anxiety busters

 

 

 

By Obii Pax-Harry

August 2005