I have had a week~ let me just start off by saying that!
I am going to warn you…if you decide to dig deep into a study about something, be prepared to be tested on whatever that biblical study topic is! We do have an enemy folks: one who lies, kills, steals, and destroys. This enemy will go to all lengths for you to NOT have peace and for you to stay permanently and paralyzingly AFRAID. So, if a particular study is happening about becoming UNAFRAID, then be prepared.
That being said, a battle is being waged and I am on the winning side with the ultimate victor! However, I am picking up some battle scars along the way. There is no promise of an easy life, my friends. In fact, we were told by Jesus that we WILL have troubles. He even told us that what was done to Him would be done worse to us for believing in Him…BUT the reward comes in knowing Him, being loved by Him, being comforted by Him, by being guided by Him. No enemy does that! Only a Savior would.
I have experienced fear this week that consumed my thoughts even when I was not consciously thinking them- know what I mean there?
Those are the thoughts that settle in tension around your neck and shoulders. It is the stress that settles in your stomach making it feel sour 100% of the time. It is the sort of worry that won’t let you sleep, but keeps you exhausted. It causes bad dreams…or “busy” dreams where you wake up more tired than if you worked an 8 hour shift.
Yep.
That’s been me this week.
The culmination was an absolute fatigue that finally overtook me for about 36 hours where I could do no more than wake up from a nap on the couch only to go to sleep in my bed for the night.
Rough stuff.
One word folks: COVID.
It entered my house.
It entered my husband.
It made itself real.
It made itself personal.
Before I worry you, my husband is FINE. He is recovered with only a small nagging cough remaining. However, my hospital trained, RN mind has taken me down rabbit trails of fear I dare not mention here…
I have NOT been unafraid.
What I have been doing, though, is fighting the fear.
We must not overlook that, friends. The path to becoming UNAFRAID is to intentionally fight the fear that makes us afraid.
The path to becoming UNAFRAID is to fight the fear that makes us afraid.
That brings me to today’s verse:
Philippians 4:4-7
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 everything, 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.
NIV
To FIGHT fear we must know what weapons we have at our disposal and how to wield them!!
To best understand these verses and know our weapons of warfare, we must (say it with me) put them into context first.
The book of Philippians is written by the apostle Paul to the church of Philippi while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
Good to remember that he wrote these words when he was in jail.
What would you write while in jail? Words of encouragement to another or all about your own suffering and what YOU needed?
He was writing to the church to thank them for a gift they had sent to him and to encourage them in their faith.
“Everyone wants to be happy; we make chasing this elusive ideal a lifelong pursuit: spending money, collecting things, and searching for new experiences. But if happiness depends on our circumstances, what happens when toys rust, loved ones die, health deteriorates, money is stolen, and the party’s over? Often happiness flees and despair sets in.
In contrast to happiness stands JOY. Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives- that He will be there no matter what!
Happiness depends on happenings, but JOY depends on Christ!
NIV Life Application Study Bible note
THIS is the reason for Paul’s letter…to encourage other believer’s, out of his own experiences, of how to find JOY when circumstances demand despair.
We can use these given lessons against FEAR as well.
These lessons can be our weapon.
Let’s break apart this passage and see what gets uncovered!
- Rejoice in the Lord always!
Doesn’t that seem a strange thing for a man in prison to encourage other people to do?? Remember, Paul preaches and teaches from his own experiences with Christ- he would not tell the church to do it if he, himself, were not doing it already. Paul has an attitude that tells us our “inner attitude does not have to reflect our outward circumstances”.
Can you say you are joyful in your circumstance? Can you say that you are rejoicing in the Lord always? If the answer is no, do not be ashamed! It takes work and intentional effort to be joyful…we have to ask God for help as JOY is a gift from Him!
One thing to try (I found this in my Bible’s study note) is to ask God to help you to look at life from a different perspective than where you are currently seeing things non-joyfully from.
- Be gentle…for the Lord is near
We often reflect the mood we are in, do we not? If we are in a “good” mood, most people can tell by our affect. If we are in a “bad” mood, again most people can read that tension as it comes off of us in waves.
Those moods are circumstance dependent. Remember the quote from above about happiness: HAPPINESS IS FROM HAPPENINGS BUT JOY DEPENDS ON CHRIST.
Our mood should be dependent on Christ and not our situation.
Therefore, no matter our circumstance or situation, we should exude gentleness -being reasonable, fair minded, and charitable.
How could that be possible when so many circumstances can be so bad??
Because we are choosing to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.
Rejoicing in the Lord for who He IS, puts us into a different frame of mind than what our situation may be trying to demand…it is all about our focus.
(Remember, Paul is imprisoned for being a Christ follower- nothing more– so these words of encouragement to be gentle in an unjust situation are meaningful to him.)
The harsh truth is our rights, our justice, our plan, our issues should never be spoken louder than the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ. It is not about ME being right, instead it is about God being given the glory through my actions or my lack of words if necessary for the LORD IS NEAR.
- Do not be anxious
- in everything by prayer and petition (needy request)
- WITH THANKSGIVING
- give your requests to God
What do YOU do when your anxious?
I think I have the needy prayer request given to God thing down….
Help me Lord
Save me
Hear me
Help them
Heal them
Please, please…
Protect them
Keep me safe
I am sure you can add your list to my own anxious requests…
Do these prayers WORK TO EASE YOUR ANXIETY AND FEAR?
Not. All. The. Time.
Why???
I think it is because I forget the next part…with thanksgiving.
I am to present my requests to God with thanksgiving.
Do I say “thank You for protecting me/them” in advance?
Do I say “thank You for hearing me” before my request is answered?
Do I say “thank You for healing them” before the healing occurs??
Do I rest in thankfulness or do I return to my pleas and petitions?
- The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind…
Have you heard about a peace that passes all understanding??? This is it.
Have you felt it?
Was it in your pleas? Or was it in being still in thankfulness?
Think about that one for a minute.
When have you experienced a peace that passes any understanding that stood guard over your heart and mind?
WHEN?
What were you doing?
Do that again. And again. And again.
Do you want to worry less?
Paul says to PRAY MORE!
But, how we pray is important…with honesty…with rejoicing…with thanksgiving.
True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety.
NIV Life Application Study Bible
Coming out of the tunnel that gripped me in fear, I find that thankfulness floods my heart and mind. I am grateful for the Bible verses that did come to my memory when I tried to lay still in bed. I am grateful I had Bible study APP’s on my phone and a sermon to listen to for distraction. I am grateful I had praying friends who checked on me out of concern for my mental well-being.
Now that I am on this side of fear, I can more easily say I am unafraid, but it is not true for the time I was in the dark. However, I KNEW there was Light somewhere and I clung to what I could not see.
Keep fighting friends.
Rejoice always.
What Kind of Peace Is This? 