“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
There is a story told about a construction worker. This construction worker was employed on a high-rise building project, which required him and others to work after dark. He was busy on the edge of one of the walls which was many stories high, when he suddenly lost his balance and fell.
As he fell over the edge, he managed to grab the edge of the wall with his fingertips. Desperately he hung on hoping that somebody would discover his perilous situation. He was in total darkness, just about hanging on to the wall, and crying out loud for help. Due to the noise and machinery at the construction site, no one could hear him; all his screams were in vain.
Very soon his arms begin to grow weak and his grip began to slip. He tried praying, but no miracle occurred. At last his fingers slipped from the wall and with a cry of horror he fell! He fell exactly 3 feet and landed on a scaffold that had been there all the time. But he had not seen it because of the darkness.
As he fell over the edge, he managed to grab the edge of the wall with his fingertips. Desperately he hung on hoping that somebody would discover his perilous situation. He was in total darkness, just about hanging on to the wall, and crying out loud for help. Due to the noise and machinery at the construction site, no one could hear him; all his screams were in vain.
Very soon his arms begin to grow weak and his grip began to slip. He tried praying, but no miracle occurred. At last his fingers slipped from the wall and with a cry of horror he fell! He fell exactly 3 feet and landed on a scaffold that had been there all the time. But he had not seen it because of the darkness.
Sometimes darkness hides the truth.
The construction worker in this story was 36 inches from peace... and couldn’t see it. All he needed to do was let go and he would have been fine. But how was he supposed to know that? How are we supposed to know when to let go...or when to worry...or when to trust?
How many times have you worried about something so much that it changed?
Ever?
Me neither. It’s not possible. So why do so many of us do it? Why is worry part of our daily life? Why are we so afraid to let go and let God take over? I think the answer can be found in today’s verse with these three questions.
Am I praying about it?
Do I have to fully understand why before letting go?
Will God really catch me?
Paul tells us that if we are going to beat worry, we need to start with prayer. Go to God with an open and honest heart...both to petition (ask) and listen. Prayer isn’t a defensive maneuver or a last resort... it is the strongest and most result-producing thing we can do as Christ-followers.
I talk to so many who feel that they need to understand why before they can stop worrying. I think it’s more important to know Who. Who has the power to change lives? Who makes the impossible happen? Who has our best interest in mind? Who is trying to help us grow through crisis? God is. You won’t always understand why things happen... but you should know Who will get you through them.
The last question seems easy. Will God catch me if I let go? Will God be there if I truly give up worrying? The answer is found in the second half of the verse... when we let go... when we pray and give it up to God... He gives us “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” We let go... He takes over. We give up stress... He gives us peace. We release our grip... He opens His hand.
God will NEVER let you fall.
Today... if you find yourself worrying... take a second and pray. Even when you don’t understand... pray. Then allow your grip to release. He promises that even though we don’t see His hand below us, it’s there. Those beautiful nail-scarred hands are ready to catch us, hold us, and deliver us from where we are to where He created us to be.
