Skip to main content

Short Article: Focusing on the Source of Joy and Peace

  

               In scripture, when we start in the wrong place, we end up with the wrong result.  Take this familiar passage, for example: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

               When teaching this passage, we often focus on the parts that tell us to rejoice, be thankful and not be anxious.  This is unfortunate because making those words the centre of the message does not help.  If I am sad, telling me to rejoice is useless.  If I could find a spirit of rejoicing, I would be doing that already.  Similarly, telling me that I should not be anxious only makes me more anxious about continuing to be anxious.  These words are important, but they are not the focus.

               Other times, we focus on the frequency phrases like “always” and “in every situation”.  This creates an even bigger problem.  It is one thing to tell me to rejoice.  It is another to insist that I do it all the time.  That only sets up an impossible task and discourages me even more.

               The proper focus of this passage is neither the list of attitudes nor their frequency.  The focus is the “in the Lord” part.   The reason we can rejoice and not be anxious is that “the Lord is near”.   When we remember that we are not alone, that God hears our prayers, acts on our behalf and cares for us, then we can rejoice always!

Focusing on our ever-changing circumstances and emotions makes this passage say, “Try harder”.  When we focus on our never-changing God, the message suddenly becomes the much more helpful, “Trust more”. 

               Focusing on the right part produces the right result.

               “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: A Path Worth Following

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more