Philippians 4:6-8 Anxiety Cure

Philippians 4:6-8  “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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)

So, it’s 3:30 in the morning and I’m sitting in my hotel room after a week of meetings here at the “Happiest Place on Earth” and I’m writing my BLOG.  OK …  Most folks would be sleeping you’d say?  Well, it’s not like I just got in from a late night of carousing with the gang.  We did have a nice banquet to close out the meeting but then I turned in.  After some decent sleep I found myself thinking and actually wrestling with the events of the week and the meetings and decisions that need to come next.  Yep, right here at Disneyland, I was tossing and turning anxious about business decisions ahead.  After an hour or so of being fully aware that was going on, I gave up and got up.  I’ll BLOG then decide it is time to sleep or just pack up and drive back to Wasco.

As I came to clear thinking this Scripture came to mind.  “Be anxious for nothing” was the phrase that the Holy Spirit recalled to my memory.  It comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians and comes in chapter 4 of 4 near the close of the letter.  I don’t know that you would call it a benediction but it is a portion of the closing remarks, the thoughts Paul wants left on the minds of the readers.  Thankfully, Paul doesn’t just give the admonition to not be anxious and drop it there; he gives some direction.

Paul adds, “But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”.  So, being anxious for nothing is not simply one of those self help techniques; a mind over matter deal.  No, “Be anxious for nothing” is the state of mind as we come to prayer and petition of the Lord.  And how are we to pray?  We are to offer our prayers and requests (supplications) with “Thanksgiving”.  With an attitude of thanksgiving we lift up our prayers and our requests to God and when we do, the promised result … “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.  WOW!  So, if I’ll just stop a minute and with an attitude of thanksgiving give a little prayer to God about how things are and what’s on my mind, he’ll return to me more than I can possibly understand in the form of peace.

I feel better!

And now that I do, Paul gives me a little more … “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things”.

Shazamm!  Not only has Paul shown me the remedy for my anxiety but he’s shown me with what to fill the void.  Fill up my mind with good stuff and there simply won’t be room for all that crud anymore.  God’s Word is good! AMEN!

Isaiah 9:6 The Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6  “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (NASB)

The prophet Isaiah refers to Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” in his prophecy of the coming Messiah.  Many, I think, have the wrong idea as to what this refers. 

My adolescence was during the late sixties and early seventies and I attended a church that was pretty wound up about the war in Vietnam.  That is to say, they were adamantly against it and I heard Sunday after Sunday preaching and teaching on ending the war and establishment of peace; peace on earth.  You might think, as did many in that little church, that calling on the “Prince of Peace” is the answer to world peace.

Jesus himself though gives us His point of view.  He says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 NASB)  So if Jesus, the “Prince of Peace” didn’t come to bring peace on earth why the name?  Fortunately scripture gives the answer to that too.  Colossians 1:19-20 says, “For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,  and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (NASB)

So, the Prince of Peace brings another kind of peace. Not peace on earth rather peace between sinful man and Holy God. As we enter into this Christmas season, the celebration of Jesus’ birth, let’s remember to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, our Savior, our Redeemer. AMEN!