This morning I was praying a bit about my future, as we have some changes coming our way. I am actually quite peaceful about it all, and apparently as a confirmation of my thinking, I felt the Lord direct me to the following verses - Philippians 4:4-9 NIV:
[4] "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
[8] "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me---put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
I was particularly grabbed by verse 6 - "Do not be anxious about anything". I am not a worrier, nor do I suffer from anxiety, but there is always a bit of fear of the unknown when transition occurs. As I look to the future, I have the opportunity to choose how I respond, and how I approach the unknowns, and I think this is partly what Paul is addressing in these verses. He says the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and I think that is so important to know, for that is where the battle of faith and belief is waged. Our minds are prone to unbelief, and our hearts can fade in affection if times become difficult.
Paul is calling us to put our minds into Christ's care, to begin to think like God thinks, to begin to see our situation from His perspective. As we do that, we will begin to experience His peace. This is the kind of peace that is only available to the one who has all power and all authority, controls everything and knows everything, and is outside of time, namely God. From His vantage point, there are no surprises, no mistakes, no problems or situations that are unsolvable, no defeat, no situation beyond His reach or power. As we allow this mindset, His thinking and perspective, to invade our little and limited minds, we will experience His peace, which we can't truly know, or which "transcends understanding". In that place, the enemy is unable to assail us with seeds of unbelief, fear or anxiety. Those things do not exist in God, and thus cannot be from God.
One of the first things we should learn to do (and I am telling myself this) is to reject anxious, fearful or thoughts of unbelief for they are from the enemy. James writes later that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7) and I know this is true. Our resisting the devil takes away any authority or right we might otherwise give him. It is our agreement with him that allows him to stay and affect us. Jesus has already defeated him (1 John 3:8), and any victory the enemy experiences in our lives is due to our aligning ourselves with him, even if that is unintentional. Since Christ has purchased us with His blood (Rev 5:9), and redeemed us, the enemy has no right to us. Our intentional turning ourselves to God, reminding ourselves of all the good God has done, of His immense blessings and of the incredible gift of grace, is resisting the lies and deceptions of the enemy. Choosing to rejoice in all circumstances is choosing to believe God's promises and perspective over our own thoughts and limited perspective.
Paul continues on and says then we should fill our minds with "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy". It is not enough to just constantly resist the enemy's lies and deceptions, but we want to backfill those areas that are prone to his attacks with goodness and truth. If our minds are full, and constantly reminded of God's goodness it is really hard for someone to convince us that God is otherwise. If we keep a long list of God's blessings, and are daily reminded of His grace and mercy, the enemy has nothing to grab hold of to convince us God is unloving, unmerciful, distracted or indifferent towards us.
I was just thinking that creating a personal litany (list) of all God's blessings, and interactions in our lives would be very helpful. I am reminded of some on the times in scripture where God's blessings and provisions were recounted, and I know that I need the same type of encouragement to remember. I am reminded of God's promises to His people in Jeremiah 29:11 NIV: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
So let us entrust ourselves to this God who loves us, who has purchased us with His own blood, who has given us His Holy Spirit, and grace as a down-payment, a guarantee of what is to come! Let us not lose faith, or grow weak in our belief, but let us recount God's great blessings in our lives. Let us guard our hearts and minds with His peace, as we learn to see things from His perspective.
Amen!
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