What Are You Careful About? Part 1

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6).

As I’ve studied through the book of Philippians, I’ve been blessed countless times by the rich but oh-so practical truth contained in that book! As someone who tends to worry, the Lord has been lovingly, tenderly teaching me to trust Him. This is a lesson that I doubt I’ll ever be through learning till heaven, 😊but I’ve learned that there is victory over crippling fear! God is so good to remind me that He has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Be Careful for Nothing

In this verse, there are nine key words that really stand out: careful, nothing, in, everything, prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, requests, God. As we know by the context of this verse, the command not to be careful doesn’t mean we shouldn’t wear seatbelts, bundle up, or drive the speed limit. It means to be full of care—anxiety, worry, concern. Because it stems from unbelief, this kind of care becomes sinful when we allow it to control our lives.

What do we worry about? So many things! Sometimes general things: the future, dying, loved ones, world events. Other times, worry is brought on by very specific things in your life—health problems, a relationship, a job. But the command is, unconditionally, be careful for nothing. God makes no exception. Nothing means nothing.

I love the description one person gave of fear: Future Events Appearing Real. Think about your fears and worries. Chances are that most of it is not real; it’s in your imagination. And for the fears that are real, God gives grace to deal with them. Too often, our fears take us to a place in our imagination where God has not brought us in actuality, and so His grace is not there! His grace is sufficient–present tense, now. If these future fears become now’s reality, God’s grace is sufficient.

Do you recall the story of Mary and Martha? Notice the word “careful”, and the contrast between the “many things” of this passage in Luke with the “nothing” in the command of Philippians. Martha was careful and troubled about many things; God commands us to be careful for nothing.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42).

Many times, the things we worry over are daily things. Like Martha, we rush and hustle about, letting care stack upon care, without ever coming to the feet of Jesus. That’s one reason why we must deal with carefulness: it distracts from Christ, and takes our eyes and focus off Him. Worry does no good, and much evil. Jesus asked, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto your stature?” Does fretting about your health ensure it will be good? Does worrying about your loved ones help them to do well? Of course not!

But in Everything

But…prayer works! What worry cannot do, prayer can, because prayer lays hold on God!

God yieldeth not to sorrow or self-tormenting care. Naught, naught with Him availeth, no power save that of prayer.

Paul Gerhardt

In everything. Everything, the antithesis to nothing. Whatever comes your way—whatever trial, temptation, perplexity, trouble—bring it to the Lord in prayer.

We serve the God Who parted the red sea and Who brought water from a rock. He brought the ravens with food to Elijah. Above all, He took on human form, died for the sins of all men, and then rose again. If He could save our guilty souls, then let’s say with Jeremiah, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee (Jeremiah 32:17).”

Perhaps you say, “But this worry is too small, how could Almighty God care about this tiny matter fretting me?” It was aptly said, “There is nothing too great for His power and nothing too small for His love.” Often, the most precious answers to prayer are the “small ones”, because they reveal God’s tender, loving care for us personally.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7). In Part 2, we’ll look at how we can cast our care upon Him. How we can, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make our requests known unto God. Until then, I want to leave you with this question: What are you worrying about? What ruins your joy and peace? Ask the Lord to help you identify the specific things that make you fret so that you can surrender your fears to Him and replace them with trust.