Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
If there is one thing that I have found to be universal amongst most people I have met, it is the desire to be happy. Everyone wants to live a happy, carefree, peaceful life. The irony is that often the things we think will bring the happiness in our lives are the very same things that bring us stress. How can we live a happy carefree life with all of the stresses that this world throws at us?
Paul the Apostle learned the secret through the many ups and downs of his life. It is important to remember that Paul was chained in a Roman prison when he wrote the following words
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Verse 4)
He tells us twice that we should rejoice! It seems clear that Paul is emphasizing his point. In fact, through the entire book of Philippians, Paul uses forms of the words “rejoice” and “joy” 19 times. If Paul can say these words with such certainty from inside a dark prison, he must have found supernatural strength from somewhere. But how?
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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Verses 6-7)
These verses embody the secret to Paul’s strength. What is it that stresses you? What are the things that seem to be too much for you to handle in this life? Paul says, don’t stress out. Lay these things at the feet of God and see how he will give you peace.
It is interesting to me that Paul distinguishes between prayer and supplication here. We are to be in communion with God praying “without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). This is the foundation of our daily relationship with God. Supplication is the specific requests we ask of our Heavenly Father. The foundation of our relationship with God through prayer, allows us to have a thankful heart because of who He is and what He has already done for us as we petition Him, knowing that ultimately His divine plan will be carried out whether we get the answer we are hoping for or not.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Verses 8-9)
You may be saying, “OK, I’ve been in prayer and I’ve asked God to help me. I've asked for what I need, but I still struggle with having peace.” These verses are our guide to help us stay close to God's peace. These are the truths to meditate on all day... every day… all that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praiseworthy. This should be our mindset every day.
What are you focusing on? Are you focusing on your problems and the seemingly impossibilities that need to be done to fix them? Or are you focused on these things Paul lists? If you cannot find these in your life, keep in mind these are all attributes that Jesus embodies. Focus on Him.
Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8).