Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7)
How does one journey from anxiety to peace? The apostle Paul tells us that it is through the act of thanksgiving. As we practice thankfulness to God, our cares and anxieties melt away. We are left with the peace of God that transcends all understanding. Moreover, Paul tells us that this peace then guards our hearts and minds in Christ.
Anxiety, worry, and fretting about our lives occurs when our hearts and minds drift away from putting our trust in God. Worry reflects where our heart is truly centered-on ourselves and our insecurities about life. We are anxious when we focus on all the things that are going wrong in our lives and forget all about what is going right in our lives. Anxiety is rooted in fear-of the unknown, and of what others might do to us.
Thanksgiving is the act of deliberately setting our minds of God. When we give thanks we bring God back into the picture. We refocus on God who is faithful, powerful, forgiving, merciful, just, and God as full of grace to help us in our time of need. Thanksgiving calls to mind how God has blessed us and how God has been present with us.
As we practice the act of thanksgiving to God, our anxiety turns to peace. God's presence and peace fills us. Our emotions are soothed and our minds are protected against the negativism, fear, and worry that would otherwise over take us.
Thanksgiving adjusts our attitude and helps us to focus on all that is going right in our lives instead of what we perceive is going wrong.
Praise God for his goodness towards us.