Greetings dear friends:

 

            We must continually remind ourselves of what Paul writes in Philippians. He wants our joy to be full in Christ. Chuck Swindoll wrote, “Of all the joy stealers that can plague our lives, none is more nagging, more agitating, or more prevalent that worry.

Some people have as there motto “Why worry when you can pray.”  I think there is even a song about that.  Others of us have as our motto “why pray when you can worry.”  I find it interesting that of all the sins mentioned in the bible, worry seems to be the one people actually brag about.  Ask yourself this question.  When was the last time you heard a Dr. say, when he comes to tell you how things went with a family member who just had surgery, “I want to thank you for all the worrying you did, it really helped me get through the operation.  I couldn’t have done it without it.” My guess is never. We need to remind ourselves of the words of Jesus in Matt. 6:25-34 where He tells us not to worry because it doesn’t accomplish anything.

           

First let’s define worry. The word we find in Phil. 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hope pulls in one direction, fear pulls the other way.  The old English root from which we get the word worry means to strangle. If you spend much time worrying you get the picture.  From a spiritual perspective worry is wrong thinking [the mind], and wrong feeling [the heart].

 

So what can we do? First, when Paul says “don’t be careful or anxious about anything,” he does not mean we should get careless and reckless about everything. He says there is a method for caring for those things that come our way.

Paul says that in everything, we pray, give petition and appreciate the answer. v. 6-7

                        1. In everything. So often we are prone to only pray about the “big things.” Paul says about everything.

2. The word prayer is the general word for making requests known to God and carry the idea of adoration, worship and devotion. God is so worthy of our praise.

                        3. The word petition is when we pour our hearts out to him, specifically telling Him what our needs and requests are.

                        4. Then Paul says we should say thank you.

                        5. When we pray in this fashion it may not change the circumstances but it will change us.

                       

            After we take things to God in prayer, petition and thanksgiving we need to change our thought pattern. v. 8

                        Isa. 26:3 says “you will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Your homework assignment is to compare the list of things to think about here in Phil. with what David has to say about the Bible in Psalm 19:7-9.  I think the Bible needs to be a focal point of our thought pattern.

            Then Paul says we should live out our changed thought pattern. There is truth to the old saying “what we ponder we end up practicing.”  If we ponder the negative we practice the negative. If we would ponder that which is positive we would practice the positive. As we have gone through Philippians here is a list of some of those things Paul has taught: love more, have greater discernment, be sincere, be filled with the fruits of righteousness, have conduct worthy of the gospel, stand fast in the spirit, work together for the gospel, be in one accord, think more of others than yourself, quit complaining, hold fast the word of life and look out for false teachers.  The result, found in both verses 7 & 9, will be the peace of God.  

           

            David Jeremiah closes this section with the following illustration: Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight around the world. After he was two hours out of his last landing field he heard a noise in his plane which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. He realized that while his plane had been on the ground a rat had gotten in. For all he knew the rat could be gnawing through a vital cable or control of the plane. It was a very serious situation.  He was both concerned and anxious. At first he did not know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing field from which he had taken of and more than two hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It is not made for heights; it is made to live on the ground and under the ground. Therefore the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand and another until he was more that twenty thousand feet up.  The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. He could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing field and found the dead rat.

                        Worry is a rodent. It cannot live in the secret place of the most high. It cannot breathe in the atmosphere made vital through prayer and familiarity with the scripture. Worry dies when we ascend to the Lord through prayer and His Word. 

 

            How true it is that worry is one of the greatest thieves of our joy. Let’s follow Paul’s guidelines so our joy can be full.  God bless.

 

Pastor Bill

 

 

            God bless as you grow in and with Him.

 

Pastor Bill

 

Walk In The Word © 2010 The Brethren Church of New Lebanon. This publication is not connected in any way with any publication or organization of the same or similar name.