To Encourage You

Philippians 4:6-7 “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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I am so thankful that God has given us such clear commandments about the things that really matter in life; things like family relationships, financial problems, or trials of many kinds. His commandment to us (hear that: it’s not just a recommendation, a suggestion, or some good advice) is to be anxious for nothing. I am so thankful that “nothing” means nothing. We have a God that is in control of everything and it’s this God Who has told us that no matter what’s going on in our lives, no matter how bleak, no matter how tempting it is to fear and worry, “Don’t be anxious.” It is in such times that God tells us to do something else. It is to pray and to pray with thanksgiving. We are to draw very near to this omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God Who is our Father whenever the hard things come, and especially trust Him at such times. In fact, we are to thank Him for the hard things. We are to thank Him because He is working in our lives in trying times to do things that He would not otherwise be able to do. He knows what we need in order to know Him better. He wants us to have such an intimacy with Him and such trust that we aren’t sure what’s better – to live in this world with all its trials, difficulties, and sin, or to be with Him in Heaven.

Paul suffered greatly in his life, and through it all, His intimacy with Christ just grew deeper and deeper. At one point, as he languished in a Roman prison not sure if he would live or die, he wrote these words to the church at Philippi, which loved him very much and was so concerned about his suffering: “I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:18-26).

What an attitude this is! What a blessing to face both life with all of its trials and death with its unknowns with absolute rock-solid trust in the One who gave His life for us. That’s what I want. I hope you do as well. May God help us that love Christ to want above all to “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). And what was He like in His death? His eyes were fixed on the joy of heaven and restoration of face to face fellowship with His Father (Hebrews 12:2). It’s all that mattered to Him. It’s all that life was about to Him. And what a better One to show us what life is about, than the one who is Life, and the One Who wants us to share in that life forever.