It’s true that Paul
wrote these words while a prisoner in Rome .
But instead of complaining, he sought God’s true
purposes in his situation and found the joy that throbs through this epistle. He
gave struggling believers some “think tank” homework—to think (meditate) on God’s praiseworthy attributes,
starting with “true.” He knew it would change their outlooks and lives.
The “think tank” assignments follow Paul’s practical advice
about surviving hard times: *Rejoice in
the Lord always. Long ago I had a
car with a bumper sticker that said, “Praise the Lord Anyway!” One day a hefty
teen guy was helping me carry out a big load of groceries. You guessed it: a
glass jar rolled out and almost broke. Noticing my bumper sticker, he rolled his
eyes and said, “Praise the Lord, anyway.” I don’t think that’s quite what Paul had in
mind! Instead, it is a mindset for life that says even when I can’t understand what’s happening, I rejoice in God who
sees far ahead and helps me.
*Let your gentleness
be evident to all. I hope I’m not
the lady who blusters about so much that people wish she wasn’t around. A
“gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4) has been on my “remember-to-practice”
list for a long time. I’m glad Paul added, “The Lord is near.” He sees every
speck of behavior, good or bad.
*Do not be anxious
about anything. Oh, this one stings. Can’t I just be “concerned”? But
carnal concern slops over into sinful anxiety quite easily.
*In everything by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Those
with high anxiety are apt to be those who obey the “pray over problems” a lot. They stay anxious because God doesn’t answer
their prayers promptly enough or in the way they want. They forget the
“thanksgiving” part, which would say, “God,
this is big in my life. I don’t see a solution, but thank You that You already
have a better answer in mind. Thank you that some day I’ll look back and see
Your wisdom. I praise you that it’s not
all about me and my worry-prayers but about You being a wise, gracious and
loving God.”
Living and praying God’s way, Paul said, results in true
peace. It’s not that push-back-in- the-recliner for a sigh-filled “end of day,”
but a spiritual peace that “transcends all understanding.” It will also “guard
your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7).
Now, that’s “beyond
understanding.”
Next: “honest”
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