A Devotion
By Joe Guagliardo
Don’t be Anxious
“Philippians 4:6-7”
October 8, 2023
Several days ago, I saw a video on Facebook of 97-year-old Dick Van Dyke at Disneyland. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you’ll remember him as Bert, the chimney sweep in the 1963 movie, “Mary Poppins.”
At Disneyland, he was sitting in a wheelchair, singing along with the Barber Shop Quartet on main street. They were singing “It’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary” from the movie Mary Poppins.
As I watched the video, I remembered seeing the moving when it first came out in 1963. At the time, my brother Sam, who was 6 ½, accompanied me to the “Luna” theater in Chicago.
Back then, we walked or took a bus everywhere. My mom had no problem allowing us to walk to the theater, which was probably a mile and a half from our home.
My brother and I walked to the theater, watched the movie, and returned home at dark without incident. Writing this devotion makes me think of how unsafe our streets and neighborhoods have become in the last 60 years. I can’t imagine my parents allowing me to walk anywhere now, let alone at the age of 12 with a 6-year-old in tow.
As I thought about this event that occurred some 60 years ago, it reminded me of what Paul said to the Philippians.
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Here’s the passage I’m referring to:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests 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
If you hadn’t noticed right away, verse 7 is said by the Pastor very frequently in church on Sunday.
The point is that Paul tells us not to be anxious about anything. When we are anxious (such as being a 12-year-old taking a 6-year-old to the movie theater), we should pray and petition God for safety. God is with us every step of the way.
No, the world isn’t perfect, and bad things happen. But when we go to God in Christ’s name for protection, He listens to us. Does He come through?
When we put ourselves in God’s hands, He always comes through, one way or another. As verse 7 says,
“God … will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.”
Putting our lives in God’s hands and having confidence that he’ll keep us safe will allow you and me to not live in fear. Perhaps then we can relax and enjoy and celebrate His love and our ability to enjoy the good times in life, just as they were oh so long ago.
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