Philippians 4:4–9
In today’s passage the apostle Paul teaches about joy, stability and discipline of mind in the Christian life. If we give our thoughts and our prayer life over to Christ, then whatever our outward circumstances may be, we can receive godly joy and peace.
“Rejoice in the Lord always” (verse 4). This joy is not a happiness that depends on circumstances, but a certainty grounded “in the Lord.” The source of this joy is not our situation but our relationship with Christ. Paul emphasises it by saying, “again I will say,” because rejoicing in hard circumstances does not come naturally to a person; it is a spiritual discipline. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (verse 5) — that is, knowing the Lord is near, we should not fight only for our own rights, but be kind and patient towards others. The Lord sees all that we do and is with us. And His return is near, so we must not get tangled up in small worldly matters. In verses 6 and 7 we are encouraged not to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, to bring our requests to God. Our thinking shapes our character. In verse 8 Paul instructs us to fix our minds on eight things: whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, whatever is excellent, and whatever is worthy of praise. He urges them to practise what they had learned, received, heard and seen in him.
Worry wears down the mind. Paul teaches us to pray instead of worrying. The real cure for anxiety is prayer. We must bring our requests to God with thanksgiving. When we give thanks, we remember God’s faithfulness in the past. The peace of God is “beyond human understanding.” When we hand our burdens to God in prayer, the peace of God, which the mind cannot grasp, keeps our “hearts and minds” safe in Christ Jesus. If we set our minds on those eight things, our thinking will change. Our thinking affects the quality of our life and our peace. If we think only about negative and worrying things, we will lose our spiritual peace. But if we give our attention to the goodness of God, the God of peace will be with us.
Are you anxious today? Worry does not solve the problem, but prayer brings peace to the heart and shows the way to a solution. Tell God all your worries and fears. He will give you a peace the world cannot understand. Keep your mind fixed on the promises of God.
Prayer: God of peace, I hand my worry and my fear to You. Fill me with Your wonderful peace. Keep my thinking pure and hopeful. Amen.