I don’t have to tell you about the negative effects of anxiety, because I think we all know what they are. But pre-pandemic the OECD reported that anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the world. Can you imagine how these statistics shot through the roof after the pandemic began, after the war in Ukraine started and after the worldwide economic crush? And what does anxiety do for us anyway? It weighs the heart down (Pro 12:25).
This brings us to today’s text. Let’s turn to Phil 4:5-7. I’m going to start at verse 5b.
5b The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
In this passage Paul points us to the remedy for anxiety:
? God’s presence
? Prayer with thanksgiving
? Peace of God
In this passage Paul told the church not to be anxious. If anyone should have been anxious it was Paul. He had already suffered under so much duress as a follower of Christ - mocked, beaten, stoned, and left for dead. He had been shipwrecked three times, wrongly accused as an evil doer on many occasions, thrown into prison without cause. He lost his status, his reputation, he basically lost everything. He was relentlessly pursued by Jews and Gentiles alike and there were times he didn’t even have enough to eat. He was also deeply concerned about the welfare of the churches. The times he was imprisoned he believed that God would deliver him out of prison, but he was also mentally prepared for the possibility of the death sentence. Wouldn’t all these circumstances tend to stress you out?
Paul was actually writing to the Philippian church while he was in prison. While he was there, you didn’t see him pointing fingers or blaming others for his circumstances or else spending all his energy doing every possible thing to vindicate himself and get out of jail. He was absolutely aware of his own situation and what the church in Philippi was going through. He wasn’t hyper-spiritual or have a dissociative disorder when he was telling this church not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. He viewed his time in prison from God’s perspective. He had joy and was actually thankful for what God was doing through His situation and instead of stressing out and worrying about what he would lose and couldn’t control, that is, his own future and the future of others, he was writing letter after letter to the churches to encourage, exhort, and teach them to trust the Lord in everything. He obviously had the peace that he was talking about. So, what was his secret?
1. God’s presence
I never really noticed this short sentence: “The Lord is near” in v. 5 comes right before v. 6. How is it even possible that Paul, who is in prison, could write, “don’t worry about anything but pray about everything”? It’s because of what came before this thought in verse 5, the Lord is near. He knew the Lord was nearer to him than the prison guard assigned to him, nearer than his closest friends or anyone that came to minister to him. The situation was so beyond his control, and he knew worrying about it wouldn’t solve anything. The only solution was to put everything into God’s hands and trust Him in the situation. He really knew Who he was talking to in the prison and had confidence in the One who was near him and because he knew He was ultimately in control over everything.
My question is: Who is God to us? Do we just picture a big person on a huge throne waiting to judge good and bad deeds? Or are we each day getting to know an infinite, holy God who never changes, a God of inexhaustible grace, love, and kindness who has perfect knowledge and perfect wisdom, is faithful and true, who is always good, incredibly patient and full of mercy, and perfectly just? His Word tells us that He is sovereign over all things and is working out His perfect, intricate plan in our lives. When we meditate on this, there is no need to worry or to be anxious.
What is anxiety anyway? The word in the Greek is defined as “having a divided mind.” Like having one foot in the world and one in heavenly places and having a Plan B in case God doesn’t come through. Our minds are always working out what needs to be in place in order to have a sense of peace or security. In fact, we spend a lot of time and energy putting these things into place. Anxiety is the fear of losing control of a situation, it could be that there is something in your life that is more important to you than God Himself and you are anxious about losing it or never obtaining it. Apparently, the church in Philippi had a lot of anxiety, the opposition from without had sapped their joy and the fighting from within the church had stolen their peace. They were anxious about losing their reputation and their wealth.
Paul was reminding the church that you will find no greater source of stability and security than when your life is focused on the Source of security which is the Lord Himself. It doesn’t matter what you are facing. He is near the broken hearted, and rescues those whose spirits are the crushed (Ps 34:18). The LORD is close to all who call on Him in truth (Ps 145:18). In John 15 Jesus spoke to His disciples about the importance of staying near Him - about abiding in Him. The word “abide” means being in that place where God’s Spirit, God's presence affects your very being. There are a lot of things (good, bad, external, internal) that are exerting their influence or power in my life, telling me who I am or should be, how I should live and think about life. This is why Jesus said remain in Me, remain in My word and remain in My love. Though God is everywhere present, we want to be in that place where His very presence, His love and His words exerts their power in our lives, in our hearts and minds. Can you imagine constantly being in that place where God’s words, love and presence drives out fear and doubt, where His forgiveness has power over your past, over all your sins and regrets? Where His words direct you and cause you to trust Him to take greater steps of faith to follow Him. Another remedy for anxiety is:
2. Prayer with thanksgiving
The word for “prayer” here is a picture of a person being before the Lord, face-to-face in a conversation. And when Paul says, always pray - it means having a conscious awareness that you are standing right in front of the Lord. What do you think would happen, to your doubts, worries, your plans if you spent unhurried and unhindered time talking with the almighty, all-knowing, all-wise Creator of the universe? This is what prayer is. Whether it’s a 5-minute or an all-night prayer, as His child you always have His undivided attention. Paul was saying you don’t need to be anxious or worry about anything – you can tell Him everything, you can bring your deep, heartfelt personal needs and desires to God. But Paul doesn’t just tell us to bring our worries and anxiety to God but to do so with thanksgiving. Why pray with thanksgiving? Because:
? Thanksgiving changes our focus
Thankfulness helps us refocus on what we have now and to be grateful for it instead of focusing on what we lack. Research over the past decade has found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. We can choose to focus on the things we do have that make us happy and on our positive experiences. When those things that bring us happiness such as good health, a good job, fulfilling, healthy friendships and relationships are stable we are thankful. All these things that make us happy are a blessing, but they are not forever. That is why we need to remember to keep refocusing on the One who gave us these blessings. He is the reason we are thankful. Second, thanksgiving:
? Can change our perspective about the past, present and the future
We talked about being thankful for those things which make us happy but what about being thankful for those things that have kept us humble? What about thanking the Lord for all that we have experienced in our past, the good and the bad? Thanking the Lord for all He has taught us about ourselves, about life and about our relationship with Him and others. We can thank God because these things have made us wiser and have deepened our faith in Him. How many actually thank the Lord for their present trials and troubles, that bring us to our knees before God, that remind us of our mortality or frailty and our need for Him, that keep our feet on the ground, and cause us to appreciate what is most important in life? Often loss, suffering, sickness, failure are great teachers and put things into perspective, causing us to appreciate the things we have or had. Even death reminds us of the shortness of time and hopefully makes us thankful for the time we have had with people and the opportunities we are presently given to make a difference in our lifetime.
How many can thank the Lord that He didn’t answer certain prayers because who knows where you would be today if he had? Thankfulness does not focus on what you do not have or didn’t receive but focuses on all that you have learned and gained from God through those times. It becomes part of who you are in your walk with the Lord. Finally, if you know the sovereign God there’s no need to be anxious about your future, the same God who was faithful to you in the past and is going to be faithful to you in the future. Billy Graham said: “There is no need to fear the future; God is already there.” Lastly, thanksgiving:
? Releases us from toxic emotions
Researchers have found that thankfulness can affect the atmosphere and productivity at your workplace. Employers who purposely thank the people who for them find that their employees are motivated to work harder. And when you think about how grateful you are for others and how much they have blessed your life, you are shifting your focus away from toxic emotions such as resentment, a critical spirit, anger and envy.
Thankfulness can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their spouses not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship. But gratitude and thankfulness need to be taught and become a practice. Parents - how many times do you have to teach your kids to be thankful? If someone does something nice for them or gives them a treat or gift, do you ever have to remind them, “now what do you say?” My family did not have much but my parents taught us to be thankful for what we had. Thankfulness recognizes the value of what has been done or given and it recognizes the source of the kindness expressed. Thankful people see life as a gift and those who express thanks reveal a grateful heart.
This is why praying with thanksgiving is so important. Why we need to constantly keep ourselves in the presence of God, to love a spirit filled life. When we recognize that God is near, when we choose to bring everything, large or small to the not to worry but to bring everything to Him in prayer, when we are thankful, then the outcome is the promise of the:
3. Peace of God
What is the outcome of being in God’s presence? The promise of the peace of God which transcends all understanding. His peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The phrase, "the peace of God," is found nowhere else in the New Testament. It describes the peace which God Himself has. God is the source of this peace, not the conditions around us. It expresses the fulfillment that comes to us when we experience God's presence.
I asked a friend and member of the Chapel (and member of our life group) what he was thankful for. Now this friend had an eye disease that left him blind and has different related health issues said to me, “I don’t like being blind because it is an inconvenience, but I am thankful that in my blindness I have experienced being led by the hand of God. I am thankful for my other faculties, my hearing, my taste, my ability to smell and touch. I am thankful for the promises of God, and I know that one day in eternity I will see again.” I would like to add that this man has created an amazing ministry to the blind and has touched the lives of so many people around the world. His answer was not to focused on what he had lost or on what he could not change, but to stay near the Lord and know that He is in control, it is in this place that my friend has found the peace of God.
