Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8.9
Most Christians know or can paraphrase parts of Philippians 4:6,7 about how we shouldn’t worry and making our request known to the Lord and how we should let the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And so we pray to God for peace of mind in spite of the mind-boggling situations that we find ourselves in.
Well, if you are like me sometimes the situations are so severe and my desire to control them are so strong that even when I’ve finish praying, I can experience some anxiety. However, I praise God that Paul did not end the Philippian letter there.
In verses 8 and 9, Paul challenges our thought life. He tells us what we should be focusing on instead of that which is causing us so much worry. Focus on the truth: well, Jesus said, “I am the truth;” focus on what is noble; well, Psalm 8:1 teaches us that the Lord’s name is noble. What is right and pure? Is that not the sinless Jesus again! And not only who He is, but what’s He’s done for us collectively and personally, surely would fall in the lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy categories, right?
But then Paul encourages us to take it one step further by saying, now watch him walk this ‘no worrying rightful thinking out’ and for us to do likewise. This is critical for us, as many will watch and see how we respond to the calamities that come into our lives. This is not a reason to front or pretend we don’t ever worry, but it is an opportunity to trust the biblical formula our brother Paul laid out, and exemplify it so others can see it played out.
Encouragement for Today:
Thoughts are powerful and almost everything we are currently hearing is negative, from the 24-hour coverage on Coronavirus to the quarantine and the shutdown of almost every aspect of life we would normally engage.
And with these overwhelming conditions, comes emotions and anxiety we have never had to deal with. And all of these unkempt emotions can lead to loneliness, despair and depression. Well, don’t be embarrassed by it and don’t simply submit to it; let’s together try to do something about it by reciting Philippians 4 and encouraging and sharing our feelings with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we can meditate and demonstrate this passage, we become like Paul to one another and are able to help one another get to a place where our thoughts, prayers, and actions change from worry to worship.
