Peace comes when we release the worries of life into God’s care with thankful prayer and intentionally choose to focus on the good things.
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.”
Lessons to Learn:
God never meant for us, as his sons and daughters, to live with constant stress or worry. These lead to anxiety which leads to all kinds of negative side effects in day-to-day living. Unresolved anxiety can lead to mental health issues and a decline in our physical health.
Have you ever heard the phrase “looking through rose-colored glasses?” You probably know that this phrase refers to someone looking at a situation and seeing only the good. But when anxiety takes up residence in our mind, it is the opposite. Our lens gets a bit “scratched” and out of focus. We see only the negative or the difficult. Anxiety causes us to dwell on the bad and we even come to anticipate more of it.
Did you know that Paul was writing this letter to the church at Philippi while in prison for preaching the Gospel?
Yet we read here how he encourages the Philippians not to be anxious about ANYTHING!
If anyone had a right to feel anxious it was certainly Paul. Yet his letter is full of faith, encouragement, and gratitude to God.
Paul wasn’t just speaking empty words or platitudes. He was sharing this magnificent truth from a place of his own bleak circumstances. He wasn’t simply proposing a theory. He was living this truth as he taught it.
God wants us to come to him in prayer, seeking His help and perspective. Troubles are a part of human existence for all of us. But we are not meant to carry these burdens alone.
Paul goes on, after verse 6, to encourage the Philippians on what things they should dwell on.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. vs8-9”
Points to Ponder:
Wouldn’t you rather spend your limited time and energy focusing on things that are honorable, lovely, and excellent?
When we choose to come to God, release our burdens, and intentionally focus on the things in our lives and things that are worthy of praise, our mindset changes.
Our circumstances may not change, but we will find that we’ve taken off our “scratched” lenses and found both the formula for and the source of true and lasting peace.
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