By Erlene Smith

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7.

This is not a perfect world. We live in a world filled with strife, trouble, and tragedies. It seems that all areas of society face some discord and uncertainty. At some time in our lives, we will all experience troubles and problems that seem overwhelming.

Life is not pleasant and enjoyable when fear and anxiety control our thoughts. Being overly anxious with worry and stress can cause our bodies to respond negatively causing both physical and mental health problems.

We need not faint in the face of these uncertainties. We can rise above them and face our problems with confidence when we put our trust in God.

When we go to God in prayer, and tell Him all our troubles and cares, we can leave these burdens there and feel the heavy load disappear as God lifts those burdens from our hearts and minds.

We can hear Jesus’ own words: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  Matthew 11:28-29.

With  a desire to bring about calmness in our lives, we can pray the prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr called the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…the courage to change the things I can…and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for lifting our burdens, troubles, and cares when we leave them with You.

Scripture (KJV)