Be Anxious for Nothing
ICS Daily Devotions
1 John 4:17-19 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
When Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:27), and when the Apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6), they were essentially conveying the same message. When we feel anxious or worried, our concern is that we may never be able to overcome the problems, circumstances, and situations in front of us. However, once we have the foundation of who we are in Christ—that God sees us as He sees Christ when He was on earth, and that God desires us to have perfect love and perfect peace —it drives out fear, and the peace of God belongs to us. It also reassures us to approach Him in faith and confidence to pray.
The Apostle Paul encouraged us to pray in every circumstance regarding anything that brings anxiety or worry into our lives. We should make our struggles known to God by calling out to Him because He is a God who hears. Nowadays, people spend time chatting with AI about their problems. Why not spend the same amount of time and energy sharing your struggles with God? God answers prayers, but AI doesn’t.
The moment we are saved, we need to know that we are no longer living without hope and without God in this world. It is terrible to live in fear and hopelessness. Fear does not belong to us, but peace belongs to us because God has given us His peace! Therefore, don’t open the door to fear in your heart and mind. There is a tendency for us to think of the worst scenario whenever something happens to us. Anxiety is built on fear—fear of the unknown or the possible scenarios. Fear is a spiritual force that can cripple us and prevent us from doing anything. It keeps us busy thinking about the likely outcomes, but it does not help us resolve the problem. Fear is an act of the evil one that causes us to focus on the issue rather than on God.
The key to keeping the peace of God in our hearts and minds is meditation. Our mind will have perfect peace when we stay focused on God by trusting Him rather than being affected by the circumstances. Worship helps us to keep our minds on God. It reminds us of the greatness of God.
When we stay focused on God and His character, we will experience perfect peace. He does not want us to fear but to take comfort in knowing that He is with us. He has promised to help, strengthen, and uphold us in all circumstances. Therefore, start praying, casting your cares, anxieties, and concerns to the Lord, and then begin to praise and thank Him!
Sermon Series：Relaxed and Composed
