“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
Within one month we sold our house and made the decision to move to another province. There were a lot of details to manage, especially with finding a new place to live. We combed through the classifieds to find a rental, but the options were disappearing quickly! As our moving date approached, the what-ifs filled our minds: What if we made a mistake? What if we can’t find a place? What if…?
Why do we worry? Is it because the situation we are facing is out of our control? Maybe it’s a state of mind where we focus on negative outcomes? For some, mental health challenges make anxiety even more of a battle and professional help is needed.
When we face situations out of our control, perspective plays a significant role. If we focus on what we don’t have, what we didn’t get done, or what could go wrong, we can easily become entangled by anxious thoughts. And we know from experience how this can create tension in marriage.
But there is a way to confront worry and keep it from dividing you. Pray, tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Look back on how God carried you through in the past so you remember that He still cares deeply for you and is able to do more than you can ask or imagine. In our case, as we waited on God He calmed our worries and was faithful to provide the home we needed.
We’ve found that giving thanks to God for what He has done helps to shift our perspective from worry to faith, bringing us to a place where we entrust ourselves to God’s bigger picture and experience something incredible — His peace that “exceeds anything we can understand.”
Go Deeper Together
Reflect on your life together — How have you seen God provide and work out the details in situations in the past? How does remembering his faithfulness encourage you in your current circumstances?
Share with one another — Is there something you need to let go of and trust God with today?
Pray Together
Dear Jesus, we thank you that you are always with us and you promise to never leave. We are so thankful that you are in control of our circumstances and we can trust you with our lives. Please be our guide and help us to keep you at the centre of our marriage and family. Amen.