[Darris McNeely] What are you anxious about? What in your life right now is causing you concern and causing you worries? Is it your job? Enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month? Something in the larger economy, you wonder about where it’s going to go, and your retirement account? Perhaps it’s even your health. We all have worries daily that crowd in and if we don’t have anything to worry about, some of us worry about that very fact alone. It’s a fact of life. It’s true. And you know, even beyond the personal local area that we have concern about, we look at the larger world and we see there’s a lot to be anxious about, whether it’s the threat of nuclear war, Iran, or as I’ve been reading lately and noticing in a number of comments, about the subject of immigration – a big item in the news right now. In America we have millions of illegal immigrants that have come in from Latin America, across our southern border, and this is causing a great deal of strain upon our social and economic system, and threatening even the security of the nation. It has become a critical issue that is getting a lot of press in the current presidential debates, and it’s not likely going to go away. But the solution is not easy.

America’s not the only area – Europe is having an immigration crisis right now, as they have had to assimilate immigrants from Afghanistan, from Syria, from North Africa, who are coming to Europe seeking freedom, seeking better opportunity. And it’s an unusual situation especially for Europe where people are knocking at the doors and crashing the gates to get in. People are getting on rickety boats from North Africa, trying to cross the Mediterranean. Many have lost their lives, but also many have come in. Germany alone has over 800,000 people to assimilate this year who have come into their borders seeking asylum. And it’s creating anxiety there, creates anxiety in America for our immigration problems.

So, no matter where we look, whether it’s in our personal life or some of the larger issues, the global issues of our world today – anxiety, being anxious over things can create stress, problems, and even unrest in the political, social scene. What can we do when it comes into our lives? How do we approach all of this?

There’s one scripture, chapter 4 of the book of Philippians, that I want you to keep in mind. It’s in verse 6. It says that, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God.; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6).

We can begin to control the level of anxiety we have in our own life as a result of whatever’s taking place there. And even as we look at the larger world scene issues that are affecting America or other parts of the world, we don’t have to be unduly anxious about those as well, if we are taking all these matters in our heart in our prayers to God and seeking the peace of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s critical, and doing so is going to help us strike through the anxiety that so often comes into our lives and know how to deal with it and create a life that enables us to chart a more calm path forward for us.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.