Chris' Corner -- Sunday, February 28, 2021
We may be familiar with Paul’s message to the Philippians in 4:6, 7, but there are a couple of words we should consider a little more deeply.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
The first word is “anxious.” It means to “take thought or care” which is compared to a word which Jesus used in Matthew 6, (emphasis added) “...do not worry about your life...” (v25), “...why do you worry about clothing?” (v28), and “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…” (v34). When we are distracted by the cares and concerns of the world around us, we become anxious and worried. These things do absolutely nothing to help the situation. What it will do, is preoccupy our mind and trouble our heart.
The second word is “peace.” It carries the meaning of security, safety, quietness and tranquility. Christians have this peace because of their relationship with God through Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The Son of God brought peace and reconciliation to everyone, but not everyone will take advantage of it. God be thanked, we heard about it and took it to heart. Surely those who know Him, will not worry or fret, but enjoy the peace and tranquility they have in Christ (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14-17).
We trust in God to take care of the things that concern us, because we offer our prayers and requests to Him. With this we are guaranteed to have peace which will “guard” our hearts and minds through Christ. This peace is beyond our comprehension to fully understand.
This brings us to our third word. “Guard,” which means “to see or to look out.” It comes from a military term for a garrison of soldiers who are on duty guarding a city. The inhabitants can rest assured there is always someone looking out for them and protecting them from the enemy.
This peace is something only God can give. The Lord said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
We have revisited this theme quite often over the past year. Instead of worrying, Paul encourages us to stay close to God through the many facets of prayer and thankfulness. When we accomplish this, His peace will guard and protect our heart (emotions) and our mind (intellect). We will need eternity to fully comprehend and appreciate such a wonderful thing.
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