Philippians 4:6-7 says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

At first glance, this passage seems ridiculously hard to me. Don’t be anxious about anything? Clearly Paul didn’t live in a society like ours. Clearly Paul never had caffeine. Sure, this sounds like a nice way to live, but is it realistic?

When it comes to reading and applying the Bible, I felt like I had to grapple with some underlying presuppositions. If I really believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then I have to believe that the commands in it are there for a reason. What kind of parent would ask their kids to obey certain rules that they physically couldn’t achieve? On the other hand, if the Bible is just some overly idealistic book with some cool quotes, then we’re all off the hook.

I personally believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God which means that I have to take even a passage like this seriously. In this passage the Holy Spirit is saying, through Paul, that there is a way to live without any anxiety. If we will diligently cultivate a relationship with God where prayer is an ongoing and growing discipline, God is saying that he will guard our hearts and minds with his peace.

I’ve been trying to apply this recently and it has been challenging. I think about my problems way more than I pray about them. This shows me that I still obviously believe that I’m more capable of handling my life than God is. I’m slowing trying to tip the scales in the other direction. I want my life to match what I believe.

What about you? Do you think about your problems more than you pray about them? What would it look like for you to take this scripture seriously?