Peace isn’t something that God drops in our laps. It’s the result of a process. And we don’t receive His peace apart from His person. We have peace only if we have Him.
In Philippians 4:4-9, Paul describes how disciples cultivate this virtue. We’ll break it up into three sections.
Rejoicing
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” – Philippians 4:4-5
Joy is a big deal for Paul. In this short letter (only four chapters), he mentions joy or rejoicing 16 times in 12 verses.
We can posit that for the apostle, joy manifests itself in different ways as the context demands. For example, verse 5 shows us that when we’re joyful, we can be gentle with others. We treat them well because the Lord in Whom we have joy is close to us. (Also, He could return at any time!)
Based on his experience of incarceration, Paul is encouraging the Philippians to handle their trials like he has been doing. Disagreeable people and circumstances couldn’t squelch the joy of Jesus in his heart. As a result, he could be gentle with those who were belligerent toward him. They didn’t control his mindset or determine his conduct; the joy of the Lord did.
Paul’s letting the church know that as they encounter difficulties, God will be there for them. They don’t have to succumb to pressure; joy will sustain them.
If we sense the Holy Spirit fostering His joy in our soul, we’re not going crazy! And if we’re experiencing this while enduring difficulties, it doesn’t mean we’re denying reality. It’s easy to paint a smile on our face, spout happy phrases, and pretend everything is great, but that’s not what God calls us to. He has something better. He gives us His joy so we can treat well the very people that are causing us trouble. We can call that a miracle!
Praying
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Since Paul was under arrest, the Philippians must have considered the possibility that they were next. That’s something to get nervous about!
But they didn’t have to cave in to fear. Instead, Paul told them to pray. Pray and ask. And pray with gratitude for what God has already done.
Paul doesn’t promise God will solve the problem right away. Instead, those Christians who took the time to pray would receive God’s peace. Even if they couldn’t anticipate how things would work out, they’d have the assurance the Lord would work.
Paul was caught between a clash of powers: Caesar and Christ. Each demanded total loyalty. The apostle allied himself with Jesus but that didn’t make him a lousy citizen. He broke no laws and committed no crimes. Yet there he was, awaiting his court date before the emperor.
The Philippians would also feel that squeeze. They’d face the demands of the world to turn away from the gospel and return to “normal” life. But they couldn’t let go of Jesus. Too high of a price!
The solution is to pray. When our hearts are weighed down by the threats of this world, we have someone we can turn to. As we share our burdens with the Father, the peace of His Son comforts and strengthens us. Like our experience of spiritual joy, it’s not a matter of facile denial. We pray because we’re dealing with reality! His peace isn’t make-believe; it’s a reminder that Jesus is Lord and He rules over everything and everyone.
Even Caesar.
Positive Thinking
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9
American culture is fond of positive thinking. We’re the society that developed people like Norman Vincent Peale and Tony Robbins, with more in the pipeline!
Given our predisposition, it’s natural for us to interpret Paul’s advice in this passage as a technique. If we think positive thoughts, we’ll get positive results.
Except that’s not what Paul said!
Paul was undergoing some form of persecution at the official level of the government. He couldn’t hide; he had to muddle through while he trusted the Lord to help him.
He wanted to help the Philippians get ready for their own trials. They could be arrested like Paul was. Or they could lose their jobs because they were Christians. Or family members would disown them.
All this could sink the Philippians into despair. But that wasn’t inevitable. If they focused on the blessings of God’s kingdom, they’d find the King who grants peace would be with them!
In a sense, Paul does advocate positive thinking. But he goes further, linking it to positive action, too (see verse 9). When our hearts and hands line up with the Word, we can expect God to act by transforming our circumstances.
He might, but Paul promised the peace of His presence. Some things lie outside our control. The motivations, reasons, and behaviors of others are their responsibility, not ours. If they affect us, we can turn to the Lord Jesus. Remember, He’s the true Ruler of heaven and earth. He alone has ultimate authority. He can change conditions in a second.
But it’s not a question of His ability. It’s a question of our loyalty. Will we remain true to Christ when the world tempts us to turn aside?
Application
Jesus gives us paths to His peace. Based on His joy, we can talk to Him about our struggles and remind ourselves of His blessings. When we do, His peace stabilizes and sustains us. And no matter what the future holds, we’re secure because Jesus is our Lord.
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