“ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”–Philippians 4:8.
My beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Perhaps a good many of us would list Philippians 4:6-7 among our favorite passages from the New Testament:
“ do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
It is in those two verses that we find our consolation in the times of anxiety that frequently come upon us. One of the things that makes these verses so remarkable is the fact that Paul was very realistic about the anxieties, fears, and episodes of great uneasiness that would frequently befall those who belong to Jesus. This certainly seems to go against the view of some that Christians are to be above such unpleasant seasons of life, or that a true faith in Christ means immunity from worry and apprehension.
Here we have the imprisoned Apostle counseling his Philippian friends on how they are to respond when things get difficult and worries flourish. His inspired and familiar recipe is this: assume the posture of prayer, give thanks to the Father, and then tell Him all about your troubles, sparing no details. Remember Peter’s comforting words in 1 Peter 5:6-7–” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
And when we do this, we can be assured that He will send His peace to us which will then stand watch over our hearts and minds through Christ our Lord.
However, as beautiful and reassuring as these sacred verses are, this is not all there to is learn about dealing with our anxieties. I would suggest that in order to know this incomprehensible peace from our Father, which we only have in Christ, there is a spiritual discipline that we must engage in faithfully and persistently. And this is the subject of verse 8.
A good while back I witnessed a popular TV ‘faith healer’ being interviewed by a national reporter. The reporter quizzed him on the specifics of his beliefs and practices regarding sickness and disease. At one point in their discussion, she asked him, “So tell me, what do you do when you get a bad headache?” Without missing a beat, he replied, “Well, I immediately pray for healing, and then I take two aspirin!” I almost laughed out loud when I heard this reply. But actually, this was one time when that ‘healer’ got his theology quite correct!
The Apostle Paul is telling us here that when we are longing for peace and for relief from our many anxieties, we must not only pray to our Father, we must also change the way we think. Or better, we must relocate the focus of our thoughts.
When I was a boy, about five or six years old, a tornado struck our little neighborhood in Cullman (apparently Cullman County is the tornado capital of the world!). By the Lord’s grace, there were no fatalities, but there was some extensive damage to several homes down the street. After the storm had ended, my dad and I walked outside to see what had happened. I remember looking at the downed power lines shooting sparks out everywhere. And there was debris all in the road, and bits and pieces of shattered trees scattered about. The more I looked the more afraid I became. And from that day on I experienced an almost debilitating fear whenever a dark cloud appeared in the sky. Even on days of beautiful weather, when the fair-weather cumulus clouds formed, I became afraid, even to the point of getting sick at my stomach. And for many years this was my troubling experience.
Ultimately, my anxieties about bad weather were slowly relieved. And I have to credit the wise counsel of my mom for helping me to find my Father’s peace. Mom encouraged me not to think about the weather or the big dark clouds, but to focus upon God’s promises. If I sat around all day and thought of thunderstorms, watching for their formation, and wondering if one would spawn a tornado, then I would surely be anxious, even despite my prayers. But, if I thought only of my Father’s love for me, and His great power that would protect me, then my fears would slowly subside.
I think this is what Paul is telling us to do here in Philippians 4:8. Indeed, we must pray, taking our cares and worries to the One who loves us more than we can imagine. But we must also think of and let our minds dwell upon the things that He has said are most deserving of our contemplation: those things that are “ true,” “ honorable,” “ just,” “ pure,” “ lovely,” “ commendable,” of “ excellence,” and “ worthy of praise.” And “ these things” are found in our Father’s Holy Word, which we have been taught (v. 9).
Practically speaking, this means that when opportunities to be anxious come to us, as they have in abundance over these last several months, we must not only pray, we must also restrict what we think about, what we allow our minds to dwell upon. We can’t focus upon the storms. We must let our minds rest upon the Lord who commands the storms! We must let our thoughts fall upon the greatness, glory, power, love, and mercy of the One “ who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses” (Psalm 135:7).
And if I might speak a bit more plainly, it means that our view of the world must be filtered through the lens of our Father’s Word, and not the evening TV news. We must resolve to think only upon those things that the Lord has commended to us. Then, we shall have His peace.
My prayer for you on this Monday is that you will find rest for your soul in these words from Paul. Let us pray for deliverance with all our hearts. And then, let us ‘take a little aspirin’ too!
I love you all with all my heart!
Mike