Memory Monday: Philippians 4:6

It's Monday, so it must be time for another verse to memorize together. How did you do with last week's verse? Did you find yourself in situations where you could use that verse? Did you share it with your children? Leave a comment and let the rest of us know how Isaiah 41:10 was used in your life last week.

This week's verse is Philippians 4:6. This is one of those verses that many of us probably know in some form, but we may not know where it's found or the entire verse. It's also, I think, one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to obey. It says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Wow, that's a tough one. With school getting ready to start, it's an anxiety-ridden time in many households. Kids are worried about whether they will fit in at school, whether they'll like their teacher and whether being in a different class from their best friends will affect their friendships. Moms are worried about whether they will like the teacher, whether their kids will fit in and whether their children will make wise choices while they are at school. The problem is, all that worry is a sin.

God commands us in this verse to not be anxious. When we worry, we are telling God that He is not big enough to handle the problem. 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you." There's nothing too big for God to handle, and we need to act like that is true. The thing I love the most about Philippians 4:6 is that it doesn't just tell us to not worry, but it gives us something with which to replace our worry. It tells us to take it to God in prayer, and to be thankful. I don't know about you, but when I'm worried, I'm not generally feeling too thankful. When we capture those worrisome thoughts and replace them with thoughts of thankfulness, we put up a barrier to Satan. We don't allow him to take our worry and use it to keep us in a place where we are not trusting God.

So, the next time you find yourself worried or you find that your children are worried, take hold of those thoughts, and replace them with prayer over the situation and thanksgiving in the situation. As you memorize this verse this week, prepare to be tested in it. Satan likes nothing better than to make us ineffective, and keeping us wallowing in worry is an effective way for him to distract us from our purpose.