Philippians 4:6-9
Verse 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Simply knowing that Jesus is the Prince of Peace doesn’t bring peace of mind. Paul understood that and so when he wrote his letter to the people of Philippi, he included a few truths that would help them have the peace of mind that Jesus had taught about. Peace of mind is somewhat the opposite of anxiety. While anxious thoughts are something any of us can experience, it is only when we lose our peace of mind in Christ, that they rule us.
Paul was not suggesting that his friends in Philippi try not to be anxious, he commanded them not to be anxious. Their missionary friend, who had plenty of reasons to be anxious over the years, was telling them there was no reason to be anxious. It wasn’t like they could argue that their lives were worse than his or that he wouldn’t understand how bad life could be.
Paul didn’t stop with the command because he knew they would need understanding on how to apply it to their lives. It was more than just a decision to stop being anxious, it was about refocusing their minds on the things of the Lord. And just as it was a command to stop being anxious, Paul didn’t merely suggest ways they could find the peace of Christ. The missionary understood that his readers needed a firm instruction to be able to keep their focus on the Prince of Peace and so part of his command about not being anxious was that they should pray.
These weren’t just prayers for God to remove the issue they were dealing with in life, but to help them remember to turn to God. He was the only one who could change their circumstances and they had proof of that because of all that God had done in the past. When they thought about all God had already done they would thank Him and in thanking Him they would start seeing how He takes care of His people. God never changes and so they could trust Him in everything and therefore not need to be anxious.
Making It Personal
What tends to make you anxious? How do you need to change your focus to be at peace? What are you thankful about that could relieve your anxiety?
Making It Personal Kids
What do you think it means to be anxious? Are there things which make you anxious? How could thanking God for what He has already done, help you find peace instead of being anxious?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for all You do for us. Give us the desire to obey Your will for us to have peace of mind through setting our focus on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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