“Living a Joy-full Life: Control Your Stress”
Phil. 4:1-9
I love the old story about a devout servant who was agonizing excessively over a certain experience when she was asked by her mistress, “Why do you agonize so long and so deeply over your misfortune? After all, you’re a Christian and you have the grace of God to help you over times like this.” The servant responded, “Well, when the Lord sends me tribulation, I tribulate!” Boy does that ring a bell with me – I, too, have often tribulated – even though I know I have the grace of Jesus Christ working for me. How about you – how do you respond, what do you do when tribulation, trials, or difficult times attach themselves to your life? How do you handle the stress of life?
Paul, as you may recall, was in prison awaiting a verdict on his life – if ever he had a right to be stressed out, this was it. But he chose A DIFFERENT POSITION. 17 times in this letter he mentions rejoicing and joy. We can safely assume he was serious about life a joy-full life. From his imprisonment he emphatically states (4), “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” There are no loopholes or escape clauses here – always rejoice. As Karl Barth postulated, ‘joy’ in Philippians is a defiant ‘Nevertheless!’ ”—nevertheless “Rejoice.” OUR CIRCUMSTANCES ALONE NEED NOT DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS. It’s the same spirit expressed by the Psalmist in Ps. 73. He shared how he had come to be upset with God because of the apparent success and health of God’s enemies. Yet he came to a point of realization (23-26): Yet (nevertheless) I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Rejoice always.
But it’s important to note that Paul says to REJOICE “IN THE LORD.” We rejoice because of what Jesus has done for us. Rejoicing FLOWS FROM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. A child once remarked that she believed Principal Rainy went to Heaven every night because he was so happy every day. Rainy once said, “Joy is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there.” And when our flag flies others take notice. That’s what Paul means when he instructs us to let our gentleness be evident to all – when we rejoice in the midst of tough times, it’s a witness to others; people take notice of those who rejoice in their circumstances.
Admittedly it sounds hard – it’s tough to “rejoice always.” But we can, says Paul, because “The Lord is near (at hand.)” Think of a classroom of students. The teacher has gone out of the room and remains out for some time. Chances are quite good that the atmosphere of the classroom in her absence is different than when she is present. Her presence changes everything. So with Jesus – His presence changes everything. And He is not a teacher standing by us – rather He is the Creator of the world who came to earth to be with us and who holds all things together (Col. 1:17). I ask you: Is anything too hard for the Lord? No matter what you’re going through, no matter how heavy the load, no matter how hard you’re tribulating, you are not alone. Jesus is at hand, ready to help you.
So (6) “Do not be anxious about anything…” Ever been anxious about something? The Greek word for ‘worry’ means to tear apart, to distract, to come apart at the seams of a garment. The Latin word for ‘worry’ suggests a violent agitation and turmoil inside a person. The Anglo-Saxon word describes a power gripping a man by the throat. Get the picture? Anxiety and worry tear us apart, create inner turmoil, and grab us by the throat. The truth is anxiety and stress have adverse effects on our muscles, heart rate, blood vessels, and our glands. Is it any wonder Paul says “Do not be anxious about anything…”?
Notice Paul does not say we shall not be anxious but that we need not be anxious. It’s a choice we make. Since the Lord is at hand, and since all things hold together in Him, we can release ourselves from the compulsion to tackle our circumstances by ourselves. As Rick Warren once put it, we can stop assuming responsibility God never intended us to have. I appreciate how a poet penned it: “Don’t you trouble trouble Till troubles trouble you, Don’t you look for trouble; Let trouble look for you….Don’t you borrow sorrow You’ll surely have your share. He who dreams of sorrow Will find that sorrow’s there…Don’t you hurry worry By worrying lest it come. To flurry is to worry, ‘Twill miss you if you’re mum…If care you’ve got to carry Wait till ‘tis at the door; For he who runs to meet it Takes up the load before…If minding will not mend it, Then better not to mind; The best thing is to end it – Just leave it all behind…Who feareth hath forsaken The Heavenly Father’s side; What He hath undertaken He surely will provide…The very birds reprove thee With all their happy song; The very flowers teach thee That fretting is a wrong…’Cheer up,’ the sparrow chirpeth, ‘Thy Father feedeth me; Think how much more He careth, O lonely child, for thee.’…’Fear not,’ the flowers whisper; ‘Since thus he hath arrayed The buttercup and daisy, How canst thou be afraid?’…Then don’t you trouble trouble, Till trouble troubles you; You’ll only double trouble, And trouble others too.”
Well, it all sounds great – but how do we develop this attitude recommended by Paul? Paul knew we’d ask – so he paints a picture of a DEFINING POSTURE. (6) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The attitude begins with PRAYER AND PETITION. Prayer is the antidote to anxiety. As the hymn-writer aptly wrote, “Sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care…” I ask you – if WORRY DOES THINGS TO YOU AND PRAYER DOES THINGS FOR YOU, will you worry or pray? What would happen if the time you spend worrying was spent praying?
Jesus chose to pray. Prayer was His regular habit but also His resort in every difficult situation, however slight or serious. When hungry for fellowship He found it in prayer. He chose His disciples and preceded His miracles on His knees. If tempted, He prayed. If criticized, He prayed. If fatigued in body or wearied in spirit, He prayed. There was no emergency, no difficulty, no necessity, no temptation that He did not offer up to prayer. So strong and regular was Jesus’ prayer life that the author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote (Heb. 5:7 GNT): “In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him.”
So pray IN EVERY SITUATION – in everything. Children often share things with, and ask things of, a parent which to the parent are minor and unnecessary. But mom and dad are thankful their child comes to share with them what is on their minds, because it DEMONSTRATES LOVE AND TRUST. Similarly God is honored and grateful when we bring to him what is on our hearts and minds – whatever it is. He already knows it but He wants us to love and trust Him.
Besides, THERE IS NO PROBLEM TOO BIG FOR GOD’S POWER NOR TOO SMALL FOR HIS CONCERN. A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was sick with a fever. So she left work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter. Upon returning to her car she discovered that she had locked her keys in the car. In a hurry to get to her daughter and unsure what to do, she called her baby sitter and explained the situation. The sitter told her the daughter was getting worse, and then suggested the woman find a coat hanger to use in opening the car door. As the woman looked around she found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown on the ground – probably by someone else who had locked theirs keys in a car. But then she realized she didn’t know how to use the hanger, so she uttered a brief prayer to God to send someone to help her. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, and out stepped a dirty, greasy, bearded man wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, “Dear God. This is what you sent to help me?” But since she was desperate, she was thankful. Having explained her situation to the man he offered to help her. He took the hanger, walked over to the car, and in less than a minute opened the car door. The woman was so grateful that she hugged the man and through her tears said, “Thank you so much…you are such a nice man.” The man replied, “Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour.” The woman hugged the man again and, still sobbing, cried out, “Thank you, God, for sending me a professional!” Pray in every situation; there is no problem too big for God’s power nor too small for his concern. As The Message translates these words: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.”
But notice - pray and petition in every situation WITH THANKSGIVING. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It’s tough sometimes to ask in a spirit of gratitude. How can we be grateful when the toughest of situations envelop us? Paul is saying we can pray with thanksgiving because God is still on His throne, we’re still on His footstool, and there’s only a knee’s distance between. We can pray with thanksgiving because the Lord is at hand; Jesus is standing by, walking with us, waiting to help. I love the words I read this week, from biblical expositor William Barclay: “When we pray, we must always remember three things. We must REMEMBER THE LOVE OF GOD, which ever desires only what is best for us. We must remember THE WISDOM OF GOD, which alone knows what is best for us. We must remember THE POWER OF GOD, which alone can bring to pass that which is best for us.”
Barclay then adds, “He who prays with a perfect trust in the love, wisdom and power of God will find God's peace.” Prayer and petition lead to THE PEACE OF GOD. It’s precisely what Paul wrote: “Rejoice … Do not be anxious … present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Like the Roman sentinels who guarded the entrances to all critical fortresses, buildings, and rooms so the peace of God will guard our hearts. The peace of God will keep from our hearts a host of circumstances which cause us to be anxious and worry. The peace of God will keep our focus on Jesus.
While staying alone in her convent, an 85-year-old Catholic nun got trapped inside a broken elevator for four nights and three days. She tried pushing the inside elevator door, but the electricity went off. She had her cell phone with her, but there wasn't a signal. Fortunately, she had carried a jar of water, some celery sticks, and a few cough drops into the elevator. At first she said to herself, “This can't happen!” But then she decided to turn her elevator into a personal prayer retreat. "It was either panic or pray," she later told an interviewer for CNN. She started viewing the experience as a "gift." "I believe that God's presence was my strength and my joy—really," she said. "I felt God's presence almost immediately. I felt like he provided the opportunity for a closer relationship." That’s the peace of God guarding the heart and keeping the focus on Jesus.
Paul says that this is a peace “…which transcends all understanding…” We can’t explain it; we can only experience it. A person whose cancer has been arrested may say, “I am so thankful to God.” That is praise. But a person who is dying of cancer and in pain may calmly say, “Everything is all right. The Lord doesn’t make mistakes. I have peace in my heart.” That is “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding…”
Along with the posture of prayer and petition, Paul adds PROGRAM YOUR THINKING. In spite of what we may sometimes think, our minds are never empty! They are always filled with something – it’s just a matter of what. As a forest lies in an acorn, so our lives lie in our thoughts. Our thoughts are the tracks over which the train of our lives chugs steadily along. We are today where our thoughts have brought us and we will be tomorrow where our thoughts will take us.
So Paul says THINK RIGHT. (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.” Our minds can store over 100 trillion thoughts – so God invites us to FILL OUR MINDS WITH THOUGHTS THAT LEAD TO HIM. Think thoughts that are true – thoughts that are God’s, that are in tune with His Word. Think thoughts that are noble and honorable – thoughts that inspire awe and reverence for sacred things. Think thoughts that are right and just – thoughts that represent the will of God for human life. Think thoughts that are pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy – thoughts that are fitting in the presence of God, thoughts which God can approve. Fix your gaze on these things; use them as filters for what you watch, listen to, and think. If your most common thoughts were flashed up on the screen, would they pass these filters? When you get up in the morning, what’s the first thing you listen to or read? When you prepare for bed at night, what’s the last thing you listen to or read? Paul must have inspired the hymn-writer: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”
And along with thinking right we must ACT RIGHT. (9) “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” Thinking right is important – but make sure you act ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU THINK. Remember what Jesus said? (Mt. 7:24-25) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
There is a children’s hospital in California called “The Center for Attitudinal Healing.” It concentrates on children who have been disabled by or are suffering from traumatic diseases or severe accidents. It has a unique philosophy. The purpose of the hospital is to stimulate attitudinal healing that enables the children to triumph over their adversity. Rather than the children simply being patients, or victims needing professionals to attend them, the children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own healing and for the healing of other children. A newspaper article about the hospital quoted one of the responsible persons there as saying, “We feel that much healing takes place by asking the simple question, do I want to have peace of mind, the peace of God, or do I want to experience conflict? If we want to experience peace of mind we will choose to extend our love to others and experience the love extended to us.” The center has a marvelous saying, “If you can help somebody else you’re not disabled,” and is a modern institutional witness to the fact that we are what we think.
Think right and act according to what you think, and “the God of peace will be with you.” The root of the New Testament word for ‘peace’ means ‘to join.’ We will have the peace of God because the God of peace will be with us. The Lord is, indeed, at hand. Hear the words of Jesus (Jn. 14): “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me… And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate (helper-counselor) to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth... you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you… On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you… Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them… Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
When the stress of life attacks and threatens you, will you tribulate, or will you celebrate Jesus’ presence? I invite you, the next time stress tries to gain entrance into your life, to shout in its face, “The Lord is at hand!” For He is – and that makes all the difference.
(i) Hughes, R. K. (2007). Philippians: the fellowship of the gospel (p. 167). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books
(ii) Rick Warren, A Strategy for Reducing Stress
(iii) Quote by Roy L. Laurin in Life Established: A Devotional Exposition of the Epistle to the Colossians, Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, IL., © 1948 by Van Kampen Press, p. 46-47
(iv) S. D. Gordon, Quiet Talks on Prayer
(v) From Idea Central, April 10, 2000
(vi) From an old issue of Daily Walk
(vii) Barclay’s Daily Study Bible
(viii) Ibid
(ix) Jenny Wilson, "Nun Stuck in Elevator Survives Four Nights on Celery Sticks, Water and Cough Drops," Time.com (4-28-11) – From www.preachingtoday.com
(x) Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, © 1989 by Michael P. Green, #164, p. 429
(xi) Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, pp. 311–312). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
