Tue 05May2009: Philippians 4: 4 - 7 ESV
. . . do not be anxious about anything v.6
I'm often troubled by anxiety whenever it's exam marking season. And this week is one of those times again. This morning I woke up thinking whether I'll ever finish the stack of scripts on time before another stack comes in later in the day. Deadlines are tight, unintentional mistakes are not tolerated and reviewers are almost absolutely merciless with their demands. Trying to finish work in a hurry and doing it very carefully at the same time is a somewhat dreadful experience for me - three times a year!
And so the anxiety mounts. As I was preparing to go to work, I am reminded of this short passage in Philippians 4, especially verse 6. I remember that in my early years as a Christian, I memorised it from the KJV, which goes rather differently as follows:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God
Be careful for nothing? That seemed odd. Should Christians live recklessly in the name of God? I was puzzled. It took me some time before I realised that this 17th century English expression meant "don't be full of care", i.e. we should not be filled with worries or anxieties over anything in our lives. For me, this morning, that includes the drudgery of marking carefully under tight deadlines. It looks like, whilst I've to be careful for every item I'm marking, I shouldn't be full of care in the course of carrying out the task over this coming week.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus v.7
Yes, by prayers, by requests and with much thanksgiving, I shall trust God to grant me peace. Peace that will guard my heart and my mind in Christ.
So, in the old English language of 1611, let us be careful for nothing!
