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It is written:
Philippians 4:6-7-Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
One of the most difficult things that I struggle with is anxiety. I am thankful that the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the brethren at Phillipi. You see, the Greek of this passage has the Apostle telling the Philippians to discontinue an action that had been going on. In other words, these Christians also dealt with the problem of worrying!
Continual worrying can become a sin. I love the words of Kenneth Wuest on this passage. He is discussing the rendering of the KJV, “be careful for nothing.”
Wuest writes:
“IN PHILIPPIANS 4: 6 we are exhorted, to be careful for nothing. We have here a word that has changed its meaning. Today it means to exercise caution. When our translation was made it meant to be full of anxious care. The Greek word is used in a second century sentence, “I am writing in haste to prevent your being anxious, for I will see that you are not worried.” The word therefore is a synonym for the word “worry.” The force of the word in the Greek is that of forbidding the continuance of an action already going on. Thus the translation is, “Stop perpetually worrying about even one thing.” The same Greek word is found in Matthew 6: 25 and is translated, “Take no thought.” We have the same force of the Greek here. “Stop perpetually worrying.” This recognizes the habitual attitude of the unsaved human heart toward the problems and difficulties of life. God commands us to “Stop perpetually worrying about even one thing.” We commit sin when we worry. We do not trust God when we worry. We do not receive answers to prayer when we worry, because we are not trusting. But this command not to worry is founded upon a reasonable basis. That is, there is a reason why we need not worry. In I Peter 5: 7 we have, “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” The word “care” is from the same Greek word. We are commanded to cast all our worry upon Him. The word “cast” is not the ordinary word in Greek which means “throw,” but one which signifies a definite act of the will in committing to Him our worries, giving them up to Him. That means that we are through worrying about the matter. We will let God assume the responsibility for our welfare in the premises. And that is just what He desires to do. We are to commit to Him all our worries, or the things that would worry us if we assumed the responsibility, because He cares for us. But the word “careth” is not the word for “worry” in the Greek. The expression in the original means literally, “it is a care to him concerning you.” That is, your welfare is His concern. He in bringing you in salvation into His family, has undertaken the responsibility of caring for your welfare. Therefore, if that is true, why worry? There is on record in an early Greek manuscript, the name of a man called Titedios Amerimnos. The first name is a proper name. The second name is made up of the word which means “to worry,” with the Greek letter Alpha prefixed to it which makes the word mean the opposite of what it formerly meant. It is thought that this man was a pagan Greek who perpetually worried, but who after being saved, stopped worrying. So he was called, “Titedios, the Man who Never Worries.” Can we write our name and add to it, “The One Who Never Worries”?” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Golden Nuggets from the Greek New Testament, 36-38 (Kindle Edition); Pioneer Library)
May God help us learn more each day to trust in Him and His goodness with the trials that we face in this life.
Isaiah 26:3-4-You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
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