Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7, ESV

If you were to take a poll asking what people most wanted out of life, things involving peace and joy would be near or at the top of most people's list. The reason for that is obvious since we all want to be happy and we all would like to avoid the things that cause anxiety and turmoil. The question is, how do we get there? How do we get to this state of rejoicing always and having the peace that guards our hearts that are described in the Scripture above?

The answer is contained in that same passage!

The inspired author of the letter to the Philippians is the Apostle Paul. He was in jail at the time he wrote this letter, yet he continually expresses the joy and peace that he possesses. He points out that these blessings do not come from within himself, but from the Lord. He reminds the Christians at Philippi that the Lord is near, so they are not to be anxious. I think I am at my most heightened state of anxiety when I am trying to figure out how I can solve the world's problems, and the reason I get this way is that I forget that God is still in charge. We are not on our own, unless we choose to be!

By remembering that one important fact, we can rid ourselves of the anxiety that plagues our society. Just think how many doctors and psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies would be put out of business if people didn't think they had to have a pill to handle their anxiety or to make them happy. Think about the liquor industry that exists in large part to help people forget their problems for a while by "drowning" them away. We have attempted to replace God with drugs and alcohol or some other remedy, and we have found that these cheap (and often sinful) substitutes) have only increased our worries.

God is near - so pray to Him! Do so with a thankful heart, because it is almost impossible to doubt God's ability to direct you through your current difficulties when you are being thankful for the many times he has steered you through crisis in the past. By turning over the parts of the problems we cannot handle to God, we will then find that our task is simplified and far less stressful, because now we only have to do our part.

Think about this: You want peace and joy, and God wants you to have peace and joy. Further, God is able to give you both of these magnificent gifts, if only you will live for him. But, remember this: Like any other gift you receive, it is only useful if you unwrap the package, take it out, and then use it! This is what Jesus offers:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30, ESV

My problem is I want to take Jesus up on His wonderful offer of exchanging my heavy problems for His light burden, but then I snatch back my problems and try to handle them along with the added load of service to Him. Then, when I fall under the burden because it was too heavy for me to carry alone, I often become discouraged... and anxious... and unhappy!

Does that sound familiar to you? If so, why not try God's remedy for a change? Why not remember that He is near, that He is capable, and that He wants to remove our crushing load in exchange for the pleasant a manageable work that Jesus has in place of our impossible burdens! God wants us to rejoice and He wants us to be free from anxiety. Why not give up our worries and enjoy the life that is meant for us? You can start today, if you want, or you can continue to handle your own problems in your own anxious and unhappy way. 

As one who has tried both, may I recommend that you at least give God's way a try? You can always go back to your unhappy life you used to live if you want, but I don't thing you will. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! He is the path to joy and peace that you have been looking for all of your life.