Alert vs. Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

I took these pictures during pilgrimage to Wrigley Field this past August. The home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916, Wrigley Field is an amazing place to visit for any sports fan.

My friend Thomas and I love baseball and we could not wait to go to the game. A fellow Cubs fan found two amazing tickets that put us closer than we had ever been to a major league field. We were both accustomed to sitting in the upper-deck with no concern of a foul ball screaming towards either of our heads, so we had to pay attention to every pitch.

Dictionary.com gives the following definitions

Alert - fully aware and attentive; wide-awake; keen

Anxious - full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune

The green sign above will no doubt lead some fans to be alert and others to be anxious. The scripture we will use in worship on Sunday will help us understand the difference between a life spent being alert vs. one spent being anxious.

The scripture passage suggests that we are not to be anxious about anything. Paul is writing to a new church in Philippi that is no doubt experiencing the great highs and lows of church life. In my opinion Paul is not saying life will be easy and God will block any sort of pain that the people will feel. Instead I believe he is channeling Psalm 23 - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Throughout history Christians have experienced both joy and pain. We are at our best when we are fully alert regarding both the perils of this life and the guidance, comfort, and care of our God.