The Thankful Heart is a Peaceful Heart
The Thankful Heart is a Peaceful Heart
Read Philippians 4:4-9
“Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
How easily we can become paralyzed by anxiety. While there are times when we become anxious and worried about things that are not a reality (such as what will happen tomorrow), there are many circumstances in life that are real and pressing. Worrying about the hypothetical and the “what ifs” of life is one thing. Such anxiety is foolish, for it is fearing what is only imaginary. But what about the things that are real? What about when what we fear in the future does become a reality in the present? How do we alleviate the anxieties that confront us and are a genuine threat to our well-being?
Paul begins with a simple statement, but one that seems unattainable. He starts with the command to stop being anxious about anything. Anxiety comes when we face possible danger. It is easy to tell a child not to be anxious about a harmless garden spider where the threat is non-existent. But how do we stop being anxious when the doctor informs us that we have a possibly life-threatening condition? How do we stop being anxious when a financial downturn wipes out our life saving that we were counting on for retirement? During such times, the statement seems more of a mockery than a hope.
Yet Paul does not leave us hopeless, for he provides us the basis for overcoming our fears and worries. The answer lies first in prayer. Prayer is more than just telling God what is going on in our life. Prayer is realigning our perspective. It recognizes that he has the power and the desire to act on our behalf and protect us from any perceived threat. When a child encounters something that causes them fear, the first thing they do is get behind their parents. In their simple trust, they look to their parents to protect them. So when Paul invites us to pray, he invites us to step behind our heavenly Father, for he will protect us from the threat.
It is the second statement that we often overlook. Paul tells us not only to pray but also to be thankful. In prayer, we realign our position; we place God between ourselves and our problem. In our thanksgiving, we realign our focus. But what are we to be thankful for, especially if the threat is still present? First, we are to be thankful for God himself. We are to be thankful for his love and compassion that guarantees that he will stand between us and the problem. Second, we are to be thankful in anticipation of God’s protection and deliverance. God promises he will never leave or forsake us, and he promises to provide a way of escape for every trial we face. It may not be the way we expect. Sometimes it may be by delivering us from the situation; sometimes, it may be by giving us the strength to stand amid the crisis. But he will always act, he will always respond, he will always guide, he will always protect, for he is a God who always loves. When we start being thankful, it shifts our focus off the threat and back upon God. When that happens, we experience God's peace, which surpasses all our thoughts and expectations. Instead of anxiety, we experience peace, for God is guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. In him, we have protection. The way to a peaceful heart, free from anxiety, is the path of thanksgiving and prayer.
Read Philippians 4:4-9
“Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
How easily we can become paralyzed by anxiety. While there are times when we become anxious and worried about things that are not a reality (such as what will happen tomorrow), there are many circumstances in life that are real and pressing. Worrying about the hypothetical and the “what ifs” of life is one thing. Such anxiety is foolish, for it is fearing what is only imaginary. But what about the things that are real? What about when what we fear in the future does become a reality in the present? How do we alleviate the anxieties that confront us and are a genuine threat to our well-being?
Paul begins with a simple statement, but one that seems unattainable. He starts with the command to stop being anxious about anything. Anxiety comes when we face possible danger. It is easy to tell a child not to be anxious about a harmless garden spider where the threat is non-existent. But how do we stop being anxious when the doctor informs us that we have a possibly life-threatening condition? How do we stop being anxious when a financial downturn wipes out our life saving that we were counting on for retirement? During such times, the statement seems more of a mockery than a hope.
Yet Paul does not leave us hopeless, for he provides us the basis for overcoming our fears and worries. The answer lies first in prayer. Prayer is more than just telling God what is going on in our life. Prayer is realigning our perspective. It recognizes that he has the power and the desire to act on our behalf and protect us from any perceived threat. When a child encounters something that causes them fear, the first thing they do is get behind their parents. In their simple trust, they look to their parents to protect them. So when Paul invites us to pray, he invites us to step behind our heavenly Father, for he will protect us from the threat.
It is the second statement that we often overlook. Paul tells us not only to pray but also to be thankful. In prayer, we realign our position; we place God between ourselves and our problem. In our thanksgiving, we realign our focus. But what are we to be thankful for, especially if the threat is still present? First, we are to be thankful for God himself. We are to be thankful for his love and compassion that guarantees that he will stand between us and the problem. Second, we are to be thankful in anticipation of God’s protection and deliverance. God promises he will never leave or forsake us, and he promises to provide a way of escape for every trial we face. It may not be the way we expect. Sometimes it may be by delivering us from the situation; sometimes, it may be by giving us the strength to stand amid the crisis. But he will always act, he will always respond, he will always guide, he will always protect, for he is a God who always loves. When we start being thankful, it shifts our focus off the threat and back upon God. When that happens, we experience God's peace, which surpasses all our thoughts and expectations. Instead of anxiety, we experience peace, for God is guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. In him, we have protection. The way to a peaceful heart, free from anxiety, is the path of thanksgiving and prayer.
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