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)
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