Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)
Introduction
We are taking a short breather from the book of Exodus today, to consider this well-known passage, which has been one that has been on my heart and mind recently in my own private worship.
I am sure we are all familiar with this passage as it is well-known and beloved among so many Christians. But sometimes a passage can be so well-known that the connections and implications can be taken for granted, even though they may be staring us right in the face.
This passage comes to us of course on the foundation Paul has laid earlier in this letter where Paul is confident that God will bring to completion that good work which He began in each of the saints. Therefore, let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling since it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. And in so doing, as Paul says, he presses on to make the resurrection from the dead his own, “because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” So the commands we find in Philippians 4 are all part of God’s working in us to complete the good work He started in us. They are part of our sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and attaining toward the resurrection of the dead, because Christ has made us His own. So since we belong to Christ and He is working in us, we should ever endeavor to mature in our practice and keeping of these apostolic teachings we have received in the Word of God.
The Negative Command
The first thing to note about Philippians 4:4-9 is that the command, “Do not be anxious about anything,” is the only negative command in this passage. By “negative command,” I simply mean a command which tells us not to do something. The rest of the commands in this passage are positive commands – commands which tell us to do something. This implies a contrast between the negative command and positive command, as if they play off one another. In other words, the command to be anxious for nothing is contrasted with all the positive commands, which should take the place of this sinful anxiety.
What is anxiety? Simply put, it is worry about things that have not come to pass. This is one of the more difficult commands to obey for the Christian, for in our experience it seems as if anxiety is simply a feeling or emotion that comes upon us, or just happens to us. Maybe we even think that it is something that we are not at fault for, for we cannot help it, it is a natural emotion in the human experience. It is something that happens inside of us, in our hearts and minds. Typically it is not something that we seek out. It is not a sin that we typically plan to go out and do, or even want to do. Even when we are full of sinful anxiety, it is not something we enjoy or want, and therefore, we often don’t see our guilt in it. And if we see it as something that simply happens to us, that we cannot help, we often forget, or don’t think that God has given us ways to fight it and overcome it. If we can’t help it, there is nothing we can do about it, we think. We may even think that it is just up to God to take it from us, so it’s not our fault if He hasn’t taken it from us. Certainly it is something that God must take from us, but He has given us positive commands that should be put in the place of our anxiety, to take it from us. This is not to say that our sanctification or obedience is a work of man, a work of the flesh, it is done, as all obedience, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, as we work it out. It is by His grace and promises to sanctify us and make us into His image, into a mature Christian man or woman.
This is how the world looks at anxiety: it is a neutral emotion, or a chemical reaction which can be fixed by pills and therapy. Certainly I don’t discount any real biological realities that serve as infirmities or proclivities to certain sins and temptations. Nevertheless, since the Word of God commands us, “do not be anxious about anything,” we must necessarily remain firm that it is indeed a sin to be anxious about anything. And while there may be legitimate natural things we can do to help our moods and emotions, it remains that the fundamental solution to anxiety is repentance. It can be no other. Being anxious for anything is a sin to be repented of.
So while we repent of our sinful anxiety, let us make use of the positive instruction Paul gives us that aid in overcoming and defending against anxiety, which we see surrounding this prohibition of anxiety in this passage.
Rejoicing, v. 4
Let’s look at verse 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” This is not the only place in this letter that Paul has given the command to rejoice. It is found 9 times in this letter, either as a command, or as Paul’s testimony of what he has done in his circumstances. The word joy is also mentioned 5 times in this letter, either as a command or as a reference to Paul’s joy in his circumstances, or the work of the Lord. The way that Paul talks about joy is that it is not a fleeting emotion that simply comes over us and then goes, as if we passively experience it or not. But in every difficult circumstance Paul faced, the Philippians faced, and every believer faces, it is a command we are called to. Joy is not a mere emotion, it is a deeply held conviction of contentment in God, no matter what. Thus, even in trial and suffering it is something the believer may have and is to have.
This is the first way in which we may overcome anxiety – by rejoicing in the Lord. Notice that our rejoicing is not to be just in anything. Our rejoicing is to be in the Lord. Since our rejoicing is to be in the Lord, this means that in any and every circumstance, we can still rejoice, for the Lord never changes, His promises for us in Christ never waver, and His love for us is never moved. He is the constant reason for rejoicing in a world that is constantly changing. Thus, rejoicing in the Lord is a constant command for the believer – in every circumstance, stage, and state of life. It is a command we are always to be obeying. One of the reasons it is a constant command is because it is always being attacked, or always threatened, by the world, the flesh, or the devil. Thus, our rejoicing must always be maintained.
So, when you are filled with anxiety, stop and ask yourself, “Am I rejoicing in the Lord?” So often, our hearts are full of anxiety, because they are not full of rejoicing. This does not mean that we don’t experience suffering and times of deep sorrow, but in the midst of such darkness, a rejoicing heart looks to the Lord, remembers all His mercies and His loving kindness, and yet hopes in God – waiting confidently upon Him, knowing that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
Reasonableness, v. 5
There are two things in verse 5. The first sentence says, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Or the King James Version says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” The idea is that of self-control and contentment. In every circumstance and situation our reasonableness, or moderation should be apparent. This is not luke-warmness, or trying to take a middle-road position on everything to please everyone. It is contentment and self-control in all things.
A person who lacks this kind of moderation, who lacks contentment and reasonableness in all things, is often prone to anxiety. It is often apparent to others that they are not doing well. A reasonable Christian in these circumstances displays a steadfastness and a calm about them. The temptation is to do what the world does and run to extremes to try and satisfy the itch, but this is not reasonable. It lacks a steadfast contentment in Christ. This can even include emotional extremes. When faced with anxious situations, the temptation is to react, when what Christians should do is think and be biblically reasonable.
So, overcome anxiety by being reasonable or practicing moderation in all things.
The second phrase in verse 5 says, “The Lord is at hand.” Now, I don’t take this to be an eschatological statement, either about the impending 70 AD judgment, or about the end of history. Rather, I understand this is an ever present reality for God’s people in every situation and in every age. It is a declaration of comfort and joy that Christ is always near to His people. He is not far from them. Thus we can be reasonable, we can rejoice, we can overcome anxiety, because the Lord is always at hand, He is always near to help us and deliver us. Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” No matter when we live in history, the Lord is always at hand, ready to be our refuge and strength, to help us and deliver us from trouble.
If the Lord is always at hand, ready to deliver us, able to turn back our enemies, then why would we ever not be reasonable? Why would we ever not have reason to rejoice? Why would we ever be anxious? Anxiety acts as if the Lord is not near to us, that He is not our ever present help in trouble. Just because we cannot physically see Him or hear Him, does not mean He is not there. This reminds me of the famous quote from Robert Murray M’Cheyne, where he said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference; he is praying for me.” Faith knows that the Lord is at hand, Christ is praying for us, therefore we will not fear.
Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, v. 6
Verse 6, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” I think for many of us, when we are in stressful and anxious situations we get worked up and we go to a verse like this, and zero in on this command, and maybe repeat to ourselves over and over, “do not be anxious about anything. Do not be anxious about anything. Do not be anxious about anything.” Or we’ll go to a verse like 1 Peter 5:7, where we are to cast all our anxieties on him, because he cares for us. And maybe we repeat that over and over, “Lord, I’m casting all my anxieties on you. Lord, take my anxiety away. Lord, please take my anxiety, I want to cast it on you.” We do that and then we still feel anxious. And we think, “Why won’t God just take this from me?” We treat it like a magical incantation and are disappointed when it doesn’t work. But if we step back, with reasonableness, and we look at all of verse 6, we see the most direct contrast with anxiousness. We are to be anxious for nothing, and instead, do something else in its place. And that is that we are to let our requests be made known to God through prayer and supplication. Supplication is making a plea or request to God. Prayer is obviously much more than just making requests to God. But supplication is a specific aspect of prayer. Are you anxious? Then make a request or a plea to God about it.
But, it is not only that we are to pray and make our requests to God, there is a certain way we are supposed to do it. Because so often, in times of stress, our prayers are merely just requests, or complaining, or murmuring. But there is a certain way we are to pray so as to not be anxious. It’s right there in front of us. Paul says, “but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be known to God.” So we are to make our supplications, WITH thanksgiving. So often we leave that part out, do we not? And so we are still anxious.
Thanksgiving is a great medicine for the anxious soul. Anxiety is worry about the future. It is worry about things that have not happened – worry about what you might lose, or what might happen to you or someone you love. Contrast that with thankfulness. Thankfulness is a present contentment and gratitude to God in regard to what is factually true – what is known and what has happened – what God has done for you in the past, what He presently has given you, who Christ is for you in the moment, and thankfulness for the sure promises we have of the future in Christ. Thankfulness takes account of what is known and true. Anxiety typically worries about things that are not.
So when you are anxious and you go to God in prayer, go before Him with thanksgiving. Go to Him thanking Him for all that Christ has done for you, His mercy and grace, His death and resurrection for you. Thank God for all that He has given you in this life, all the ways He has blessed you and protected you in your life. Do that, and just keep doing that, keep giving thanks to God – and see then how your supplications may change when you finally get around to asking them. Because a thankful heart and an anxious heart typically do not mix. Anxiety really is a lack of thankfulness. It is worry about what might happen. True thankfulness is always thankful to God in every circumstance, in much or in little, for we are always blessed beyond measure with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus no matter what we have or don’t have on earth.
In this way, we can see how prayer changes us. Why would God tell us to make our requests known to Him? He already knows exactly what we need at all times, right? There are a number of reasons why God yet calls us to pray. One, because there is communion with Him to be had in prayer. Prayer is communing with the Trinity. And secondly, in that, prayer is just as much for us, if not more so – it changes us. We need that communion, we need that practice of giving thanks, we need that exercise of faith, of casting our cares upon the Lord. So we can overcome anxiety in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
Right Thinking, v. 7-8
Look at verse 7-8, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
So, when we make our supplications and requests known to God with thanksgiving, then it says the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This peace of God surpasses all understanding, because it is a work of God’s grace in His people. It is a peace that can be had in the most difficult of circumstances that doesn’t make any sense to the world or the flesh. How can Paul rejoice in his suffering as he says? How can the apostles sing praise while in prison? Through all the persecution they faced, how could they endure with such confidence? How can we endure whatever most difficult trials we face in this life, yet have peace and joy? It doesn’t make sense. It is only through the power of God granting us the peace of God – a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Paul says that this peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The heart and the mind are major aspects of the Christian life. The mind is of course the thought life, and the intellect. The heart is the seat of the desires of our minds. We are called to exercise self control in our hearts and minds and use them appropriately. We cannot forget that Jesus Christ is Lord of our hearts and minds. So often, it is the heart and mind that are first tempted to run wild with distrust and sin, before it ever comes out into outward actions. But they do eventually come out. So, anxiety often comes because we do not guard our hearts and minds. Anxiety is essentially a heart and mind issue. We are to rejoice in the Lord with our hearts and minds. We are to give prayer and thanksgiving with our hearts and minds. When we fail to love God with all our hearts and minds in this way, that is when anxiety so often takes over. Prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing is not just good for our soul, or for our spiritual lives, but those things are all interconnected with our hearts and minds. Prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing are good for our hearts and minds. When our hearts and minds run wild, rejoice, give thanks, and pray.
But notice, as the text says, it is the peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It guards our hearts and minds IN CHRIST JESUS. The peace of God is not something that comes apart from Jesus. It comes to us in and through Jesus, for He is the Prince of Peace, who has made peace with God and man, through the blood of the cross. There is no true peace apart from Jesus Christ. So I would have you note: the fact that Christ guards our hearts and minds implies that the heart and mind are spiritual battlefields. They are places of attack for the enemy. The enemy would like no other than to shake us in our hearts and minds, and get them off of Jesus Christ. So Jesus guards and protects them. We are to set our minds on the things that are above, we are to think upon the risen and reigning Lord who intercedes for us, who fights to protect us and our hearts and minds from spiritual forces of evil.
There is also active right thinking that Paul commands of us in verse 8. So another way we overcome anxiety is by right thinking. So often anxiety comes because we think upon what is false, or what hasn’t happened, instead upon what is true. So think upon what is true. We aren’t to meditate on falsehood for it can poison our hearts and minds and take our joy and give us anxiety. The Lord commands that we use the minds that He has given us rightly. He says to think upon what is honorable, not on things that are dishonorable. We are to think upon what is just, not what is unjust. When the injustices of our world or our lives consume our thoughts, it is detrimental to our peace. We are to think upon what is pure, not what is impure. Meditating and stewing upon impure thoughts are harmful to our souls. We are to think upon whatever is lovely, not what is unlovely. We are to think upon what is commendable. Any excellence or things worthy of praise are things to be meditated upon. “Think about these things,” Paul says.
So we must be conscious about what we put into our minds or allow into our minds – whether it is from media consumption, sinful thoughts of our own flesh, or gossip from others. Our minds are to be so carefully guarded, for it is related to our conscience. Meditating and thinking upon impure, unlovely, dishonorable things works to dull our conscience and makes us ever more prone to sin and unbelief. Guard your hearts and minds with your life. For what is in them, comes out.
And think always upon the Lord Jesus for He is all of these things. Jesus is the truth, He is honorable, He is just and the just judge of all, He is completely pure, He is lovely, He is commendable, He is excellent in all His ways, He is worthy of praise. Think about Him, for we become like what we behold. Behold the Lord in your hearts and minds and see if there is still any room for anxiety.
Obedience/Practice, v. 9
Finally, verse 9 says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” So here we see the authority of apostolic example in the Scriptures – we are to practice what we have received from them. In other words, our final way of overcoming anxiety is through obedience. You will not have peace while walking in disobedience to God. When you are tempted with anxiety and don’t know what to do, obey Jesus. Just do what you are called to do – what God requires of you, and the God of peace will be with you.
Notice that Paul says, “practice these things.” That we are to practice obedience implies that it takes time and training. We fail and we fall. We don’t do all that we are called to do and so become anxious. But keep practicing. Keep repenting. Keep obeying. Do not give up, lest you lose your peace. God gives us trials in order to give us opportunity to practice these things, to train us in them, to get better at them. So when everything around you seems like chaos and your heart is tempted to sin, you just keep doing your duty, and don’t stop.
When Jesus was arrested, put on trial, beaten, and crucified, there were enemies all around. It was the greatest trial and suffering ever known. Yet from His lips, continued to come Scripture, it was on His heart and mind. He continued to be faithful to do all that the Father gave Him to do – the will of the Father. And He didn’t stop when it got hard. And He did it to purchase peace for you and me. He did it so that we might have reason for perpetual rejoicing and thanksgiving. He did it to purchase our hearts and minds, that they would be His. He is the God of Peace who made peace with God and sinners, putting to peace the enmity between us and God. Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
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