“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9

“Don’t worry.” That’s one of those easy statements we make when someone is facing something difficult and we’re not exactly sure how to help. It sounds so easy, yet it feels nearly impossible to actually do. Is finding peace as simple a thing as simply choosing not to worry?

Yes, and no. Paul did say do not be anxious about anything, but also much more. In the midst of his “Don’t worry” exhortation, he wrote about joy, reasonableness, God’s presence, prayer, thanksgiving, truth, honor, justice, purity, goodness, excellence, praiseworthiness, and modeling godly behavior. Peace, then, and the absence of worry, is the result of a life surrendered to God and focused fully on Him. Paul didn’t just say, “Don’t worry” without telling us how. He explained that when we rejoice in the presence of the Lord and pray to Him with thanksgiving—when we focus on His attributes and seek to respond to life’s difficulties in the way godly role models have shown us—God’s peace will supernaturally envelop our hearts and minds.

So when we tell ourselves or someone else, “Don’t worry,” we should always follow up with, “Pray.” When we come to the Lord in prayer, He already knows what we need; the question is whether or not we know what we really need, and whether or not we’ll turn our hearts and minds to Him. It is in this place of turning where God meets us, and where we find true peace.

• On a piece of paper, list some reasons you have for joy and thanksgiving. List also things that are true, honorable, just, pure, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy about God. Next, name someone who has demonstrated faith and godliness in a difficult situation.

• Pray: Biblical surrender is better described by turning around than by waving a flag and lying down. Instead of thinking about what has you worried, think about all the things you listed, instead. Thank God for His peace that passes understanding. Ask Him to help you maintain your focus on His goodness and to follow the example of the faithful believers He has put in your life.