In his letter to the Philippians, Paul stressed the importance of good thinking. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

The English word “worry” comes from an Anglo-Saxon word that means “to strangle,” and the Greek word “worry” literally means “to be torn apart.” Worry takes command when our thoughts and feelings pull us in different directions, resulting in thinking that quite literally strangles the life of Christ right out of us. Stinking thinking destroys us in numerous ways and at various levels. If we nurture stinking thinking, we feed a brutal cycle that shipwrecks our lives, robs us of peace, leads to contrary behavior, and directly impacts our health and relationships.



But God plans to give us peace and protection from the whirlwind. The Bible teaches us that by guarding our minds with God's Word, we find peace, where God’s blessing and abundant living thrive. Therefore, Paul urges us to pay attention to four spiritual disciplines:

1. Practice the presence of God by always rejoicing in the Lord. 
2. Walk in God’s peace through prayer and thanksgiving in every circumstance.
3. Rely on God’s power by remembering that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. 
4. Trust in God’s goodness to meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ.

As we practice these daily disciplines, the grip of worry loosens, and a pathway to the peace, freedom, and abundant life Jesus promised becomes clear. (Paul’s instructions can be found in Philippians 4:4, 6, 13, and 19).