anxiety

In the Letter to the Philippians 4:6 (NABRE), Paul urges his readers to “have no anxiety,” a powerful statement, though this translation may not capture the full spirit of the original intent.

Anxiety involves a fear response and bears much relationship to fear. In that context, this statement seems similar to many statements throughout Scripture telling us not to be afraid. The Greek word here, μεριμνάω (merimnao), by contrast, can mean “care for” or “look out for.” The idea seems to be concerned primarily with care or potential distress that comes from attachment to the world and the things of the world. Paul’s core point is not that we should avoid fear, but that we shouldn’t let care or concern for things other than God weigh us down or trouble us.

What are your cares and concerns? Do any of these cause you distress or take away from your relationship with God?

you also may like our study of Saul, David & Solomon (digital only)
The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at the First and Second Books of Samuel to learn how the lives of the monarchs Saul, David, and Solomon point ahead to the kingdom of heaven. The unified reign of King David is seen as a foreshadowing or type of the unity that is one of the four marks of the Church—the kingdom of God—established by Jesus Christ. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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