Jimbo's Jots

Many words can derail our thought process. “You’re sick!” “I want to separate.” “I need you to pack your desk up.” While the suddenness of words like this can turn our world upside down, for others, though, anxiety and racing thoughts occur almost daily without  hearing these words. For some, the mind can’t and doesn’t slow down . . . at all.

We, at Plymouth, offered this class “Anxious for Nothing” based on Max Lucado’s book and study by the same name. The actual title of the book is Anxious for Nothing: finding CALM in a chaotic world. For those who have not read the book yet or you were not able to join us in our class, in short, the book and class looked at Philippians 4:4-8. It’s in these short verses that Lucado takes us into the world of CALM that God offers.

Celebrate God’s goodness – “Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4)

Ask God for help – “Let your requests be made known to God (4:6)

Leave your concerns with Him – “With thanksgiving . . . ” (4:6)

Meditate on good things – “Think about the things that good and worthy of praise” (4:8)

For those who struggle with anxiety, it’s the constant search for a calming presence. What Max Lucado does in his book is to point us to Godhead to find that sense of CALM. As we Celebrate, Ask, Leave and Meditate, God will open our eyes to his presence and protection in our lives.

Did I mention that Paul is writing this while he is prison. In another letter to the Corinthians, he details everything that has happened to him including shipwrecks, starvation, prison, extreme heat and cold, beatings, and the burden of caring the gospel and encouraging baby churches. Yet, in all of this, Paul says when you put your trust in God, He provides the CALM-ing presence you seek.

Be blessed and be a blessing!