Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Slippery Slope of This World
There's a story of a man who was putting shingles on his three-story house. It had been raining earlier, and the roof was slippery. Suddenly, he lost his balance and slipped. As he was going off the edge of the roof, he caught himself by the gutter. Panic began to set in as he looked up to the sky and yelled, “Is anyone up there who can help me?” A voice came back, saying, “Yes, I can help you.” Filled with fear, the man asked, “What shall I do?” The voice calmly replied, “Let go.” He looked down and then back up and asked, “Is there anyone else up there?”
We do the same thing, clinging for dear life to our plans, trying to keep everything under control and stay in our comfort zones. Inevitably, we slip and slide to the edge, and it’s not until we are hanging for dear life that we finally cry out to God for help. But as God usually does, He suggests something that, in our minds, is way too outrageous for our liking. Then we respond, “Are there any other options, Lord?”
The Illusion of Control: Our Flawed Approach to Prayer
The problem we have, by and large, as Christians is that we use prayer as a way to tell God what to do. “God, do this; fix them. Make this happen, and hurry up every chance you get!” And we don't realize that this kind of messed-up prayer only amplifies our anxiety. We think we have everything under control, and when things fall apart, we quickly blame God. We don’t realize that God’s ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8–9).
The Kingdom of God: The Realm of True Peace
This can be a lot like living right next door to a dog kennel full of dogs barking incessantly. It makes a lot of noise in your brain, convincing you that you will never have peace and quiet. But King Jesus cuts through all the noise with a clear command: “Don’t worry.” In the Kingdom of God, worry is not allowed. Why?
1. Because King Jesus is controlling everything, and He’s got you covered.
2. Because faith is the air you breathe in the Kingdom, and fear is the opposite of faith.
3. Because King Jesus holds the future in His hands. And He is much more capable than you. (See Matt 6:34.)
This is why it's important for you to understand the principles of Kingdom living. Because when you seek first the Kingdom of God, Jesus is the Owner, Controller, loving Protector, and Provider of your life. So what are you so worried about?
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV) says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Look carefully at that verse and notice, “HE CARES for you.” When you worry, you accuse God of not caring about you. That demonstrates serious distrust and a lack of faith. Remember, faith is the air you breathe in the Kingdom of God, and worry will choke you out every chance it gets.
The peace of God doesn't make sense when living outside the Kingdom of God. Philippians 4:6–7 states that the peace of God surpasses our understanding because it's not something that fits into the human logic of this world. It's not logical; it's supernatural because it's a gift from God that's only experienced in Kingdom living.
God’s Far-Fetched Grace
Let's get back to our friend hanging from his roof. As he hangs for dear life, his knuckles whitening and his muscles straining with sweat flowing down his forehead, he begins to lose his grip. His mind is flooded with fear, but his body can't hang on any longer. What he can't see is that his desperate cry for help has not only reached heaven but also the ears of his neighbors below (Ps. 34:17). Right in the nick of time, they grab his trampoline and slide it right under where he's dangling, ready to break his fall.
Our man on the roof thought that he was utterly alone and that his fate lay solely in the strength of his failing grip. But he wasn't alone; not only did God hear him, but He positioned the man's neighbors in a place to use them in an extraordinary way. This story may seem far-fetched because it is. But I would argue that God's grace in this world is far-fetched. That God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways that we could never imagine saving us from certain doom. Have you ever had someone come along unexpectedly, just at the right time, and help you through what seemed to be an impossible situation?
The Freedom of Letting Go
So the next time you find yourself slipping off the roof of your problems, don't be worried about God's presence in your life because He's always there, and He may even tell you to let go, and release all your fear, anxiety, and control over to Him. Because the fall that you're so afraid of may actually be the very thing that sets you free.