Are you searching for peace? Peace is available for all those who are in Christ Jesus. It's powerful and exceeds all human understanding. The apostle Paul wrote about this peace to the Christians in Philippi. He told them that this peace would guard their hearts and their minds. He shared with them that he was able to discover this peace and contentment through the circumstances and struggles he went through, (Philippians 4:11-13). By reading what he wrote to the Christians in the book of Philippians, Christians today can also learn to obtain this peace. It doesn't come naturally. We must work hard to put into practice what we can learn from Paul to receive it!
Paul and the book of Philippians, hold a special place in my heart. Over the last several years, I've made attaining peace my primary goal. I've spent quite a bit of time studying my Bible and the book of Philippians chapter 4 especially. Then this past summer, my family and I traveled to Philippi in Greece. This was the place where Paul 1st preached the gospel in Europe and helped set up a congregation, the very one he is writing to in the book of Philippians. This trip, for those who are wondering, was through Bible Passages and sponsored by the group, Polishing the Pulpit. Our theme was, "Following in the Steps of the Apostle Paul," and I highly recommend it!
Our first stop was in Neopolis, a port city where Paul's ship would have landed after receiving what is known as the Macedonian Call. We were able to get out of our tour bus and get a great view of the Neopolis port and then walk along the very Roman road Paul would have walked to get to Philippi. Philippi was a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. As we observed the large smooth stones of the Roman road and the flowers along the way, we stopped for pictures and even took some time to sing, "Send the Light." As I sang, I couldn't help but be moved by Paul's desire to obey the Macedonian Call and to bring the gospel of hope to the people in Philippi. You can read about the interesting story of the Macedonian Call that Paul received in the book of Acts (Acts 16: 6-12).
We can read in several New Testament books of the Bible (Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and others), that Paul learned to transform himself by renewing his mind (Romans 12:2). He learned to be grateful for what was provided for him along the way. He knew God would give him what he needed and no more. He had prayed about what concerned him and was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). He shared the things he learned within the pages of his letters with his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. These Christians needed to learn to be steadfast, unmovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord for the gospel to spread (1 Corinthians 15:58).
We know that all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If we look into the letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians and study and apply it to our lives, we too can learn how to attain the peace that can only be found in Christ Jesus. I've been working on this for the last few years and I believe I'm getting there. I can see that by becoming intentional about what I choose to set my mind on, working on staying in continual prayer, and practicing gratitude in my life, I have been able to maintain a good measure. I'm so grateful for the Bible and the wonderful lessons there within.
A Short Study
Philippians 4:1-9
Let's look at the letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi.
In Philippians 4:1-6, He encouraged them to do 5 things:
Stand firm in the Lord (verse 1)
Get along with one another (verse 2)
Rejoice in the Lord (verse 4)
Let their reasonableness be made known to all (verse 5)
Be anxious for nothing (verse 6)
How can we let go of things that cause us to become anxious? Paul explained:
Philippians 4:6-7
"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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Let's break that down. To avoid becoming anxious, we should:
Pray in every situation
Humbly ask or beg for what we need when the need arises
If we are constantly praying in every situation, we are in direct communication with God most of the day. When something comes up that causes us stress, we can immediately beg for help with confidence that He will help us if we know it is something that would please Him. If we aren't sure what His will would be, then we must prepare ourselves to be humble and accept the outcome whatever it may be.
Let's go over the next two:
Be thankful
Make your requests known
We spend time thanking Him all day long for every blessing we recognize. Focusing on all the good things surrounding us is good for the soul. As we see needs, we make requests and perhaps see if we can help in some way. In doing this, we are accomplishing what Paul encouraged the Philippians to do. We stand firm, get along with others, rejoice, be reasonable, and feel at peace.
Just in case you were still wondering how to keep your mind at peace, Paul gives a list of 8 things in verse 8 to think or meditate on intentionally. Whatever is:
True
Honorable
Just
Pure
Lovely
Commendable
Excellent
Worthy of Praise
By the time Paul wrote this letter, he had learned quite a bit through his experiences. He urged them to remember all that they had learned from him and to put those things into PRACTICE and the God of peace would be with them. (verse 9)
"...for I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret to facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13
Resources
Bible Passages Tours: https://www.biblepassages.net/tours
Polishing the Pulpit on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PolishingThePulpit/
Just Bible No Fluff Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinking-about-the-excellent-things-philippians-4-1-9/id1704775435?i=1000632262400
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