SOME HIDDEN GEMS OF PEACE
Philippians 4:4-7 CSB
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
During the pandemic of 2020, there was one scripture that was looked up online more than all the rest. The scripture was Philippians 4:6. “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It’s not difficult to see why this verse was the most sought for during one of the most tumultuous periods we can remember. It was not war but uncertainty that plagued so many people, and the verse about not worrying was a source of comfort.
But there are a couple of hidden gems that give verse six greater strength. People went directly to verse six as a solution to calm their worries. But many skipped over a couple of verses that were a part of the no-worry solution. Verses four and five are part of the relationship with the Lord that helps relieve anxiety. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Paul was so emphatic about rejoicing that he repeated the directive to rejoice. Rejoicing in the Lord puts everything in a different light. Paul is not encouraging us to rejoice in the circumstances but rather to rejoice in Christ.
Rejoicing in the Lord is the choice to give praise to the Lord for who He is and what He has done. Rejoicing in the Lord shifts our emphasis from ourselves or our situation to the eternal One who is Lord of all. Rejoicing in the Lord positions us in a place of spiritual strength. Rejoicing in the Lord always, on a consistent basis, makes it easier to focus our attention on the goodness and power of God as opposed to our weaknesses or uncertainty.
And Paul is not done. Verses four and five come before verse six. I know, I know, that’s a duh, Alan, but the verses are part of the anti-anxiety solution. Rejoice and rejoice again. “And let your graciousness be known to all. The Lord is near.” Although verse five seems totally unrelated to not being anxious, there is a connection. How we treat other people is part of our relationship with the Lord. Jesus’ commandment was to love one another as He loved us. We can’t say we love God and then treat people poorly. Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love. Being gracious with people is a great way to treat them and stay in fellowship with the Lord. The apostle John would later write that loving others reassures our hearts before God. And when our hearts are not condemning us, we have confidence with God. Read 1 John 3:14-24 and see the importance of walking in love with one another.
APPLICATION
So, we are rejoicing in the Lord consistently and we are being gracious to those around us as representatives of Jesus. And now we are not worrying but taking our requests to God. And then His peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ. I did not take the time to go into verse eight, which tells us how we are to think, but our thoughts are important in regard to peace.
The idea that I am presenting is not isolating verses and applying them as you would a formula. The wonderful promise in verses six and seven is part of our ongoing relationship with the Lord. As we are rejoicing, we focus on Him. As we treat others graciously, we are obeying and representing Him. As we walk with Him, we confidently present our requests to God and thank Him for His help. His peace is available to us. We are His own special people who experience His peace as we walk in His light.
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, for Your peace. And thank You that we can live in Your light and in Your ways. Your ways are higher and better.