Joy and Peace - Philippians 4:4-7

^“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7 HCSB

In the Letter to the Philippian church the Apostle Paul is writing some words that still ring true and may even be harder to swallow today. When these words were written, you could still find people who sat under the teachings of Jesus. There were people who witnessed one of Jesus’ many miracles. You could even find people who spent time with Jesus after His resurrection. Their personal experiences and excitement would be contagious. You would have seen it in how they lived their lives, the faith they put into the unknown, and the peace that radiated from them.

Some 2,000 years later we do not have those first hand witnesses. We have their letters at our finger tips, but not the individuals themselves. It is much harder to ‘catch’ their peace and joy from their writing than it would have been from hearing them speak. That is why these words are critical for us to understand.

Here are some of the critical points.

Rejoice – It is easy to rejoice on Sunday morning when you have had a great week, or you know something big is coming up. We celebrate the good things, we remember how God provides, we know that His presence is with us. How about when the trials and pressures of life start hitting full force? How about when you struggle with being happy?

When all else fails rejoice in the Lord. Remember what He has done for you. Remember where you would end up without Him. Even if it seems like your world is crumbling around you, you can rejoice in what Jesus has already done. You get to spend eternity in His presence! That alone is reason to rejoice, no matter what you are facing! Hard to remember when you are down and out but it is a game changer.

Graciousness – This is opposite of human nature. We tend to respond in kind when someone treats us badly. How can we get revenge, how can we hurt them, how can we get our pound of flesh. Instead we need to remember to let it go. If we are close to God, rejoicing in the Lord, and do our best to live as He created us to live we should be gracious to others. Letting the bad things go, being gentle to those in need, forgiving, caring, and so on… This should be evident by those that see us.

Don’t worry – I know you may be reading this with no one around, but I want you to raise your hand if you never worry. More than likely 99.99% of you did not raise your hand. We are pulled in so many different directions that it is next to impossible for us to not worry about something. Money, family, medical, work, the house, and the list can and does go on. Instead of worrying about this or that, we need to pray about it. I know that does not help on the surface of things, but that is exactly what we need to do.

Prayer and petition – God wants to hear from you. If there is something that is causing you to worry, something that is stealing your joy, something that is holding you back from the person God wants you to be, you need to pray about it. Approach God with a thankful heart for all that He has done in your life, approach Him being thankful for the way He takes care of you, and approach Him with thanks for the opportunity to serve Him and others. Then it is time to lay your concerns at the feet of Jesus. Don’t be shy about it, don’t hold back, let it all go. Medical issue scaring you, pray about it. Financial stealing your joy, pray about it. The uncertainty of the future holding you back, pray about it. God loves you, He wants to hear from you, and He will be with you.

Peace which surpasses every thought – Have you ever had a sense of peace that did not match the circumstances you were in, that is the peace that is beyond understanding. I remember receiving a rather nasty diagnosis that was going to require a rather nasty surgery and I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God was in control. It was going to hurt, the recovery was going to be long, but I was at peace.

If you rejoice in the Lord, are thankful for all the things He has already done for you, and approach Him openly peace will fill you. No matter the circumstances if you are talking to the Lord daily, the extraordinary peace is yours.

Life has a tendency to knock us around. There are things that keep us from experiencing the complete joy that God has for us. Apostle Paul lays it out clearly for us in these verses. The steps are very simple, but the task can be challenging. It is easy to say pray and have peace, but it is harder than it sounds. That is why this requires a lifestyle of graciousness, thankfulness, and prayer. It is not something you can put in your bag and pull out when you need it. It needs to be part of your daily life.

Does something seem to be wearing you down? Is the stress getting worse? Are you missing out on the peace that is beyond understanding? Read Philippians 4:4-7 and take Paul’s advice.

God Bless,

Robert