To Encourage You

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

1 John 5:3 “And his commandments are not burdensome.”

How do you view the commands of God? Do you picture Him as an overbearing task master, demanding certain things of you and ready to beat you with a club if you don’t comply? Do you ever shrink before His commands? Are you ever filled with guilt and anxiety because you’ve disobeyed a clear command that He has given us? Take the command from Philippians 4:6 that we are not to be anxious about anything.  Are you ever anxious, nevertheless, and then do you ever become even more anxious because of your failure to not be anxious as God has commanded us?  It can be a vicious circle and, believe me, I’ve gone round it much more than once! 

Perhaps the problem is all rooted in our view of God.  He’s not an ogre! Listen to the names He has given us to describe Himself: Father in heaven, Good Shepherd, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Joy of the whole earth, and the Bridegroom, to name a few.  He likens Himself to a hen who longs to gather her brood under its wings in Matthew 23:37. He implores us to come to Him to find rest (Matthew 11:28), to trust in Him to direct our steps (Proverbs 3:5-6), and to find shelter in Him as an eternal dwelling place Who will protect us by His powerful everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27). 

These are some of the things I’ve thought about today as I’ve considered a very difficult time I’ve been going through.  Have I been anxious? Absolutely!  Have I been discouraged because I’ve not obeyed the command of Philippians 4:6 to not be anxious? Affirmative again!  Beyond that, I’ve felt a sense of condemnation for being such a poor example of the believers and even questioned if I am a believer!  Then, earlier today, I spent time with my father discussing some issues with him regarding his retirement funds.  My dad is someone I’ve always looked up to for his wonderful attitude. He doesn’t get anxious, like I do – and I wonder why I can’t be more like him?!  But then, to my surprise, he informed me that he hadn’t slept more than two hours last night thinking about a letter he’d received about his retirement account. I read it and it really wasn’t anything that concerned him – but he hadn’t understood the language in the letter, and it made him anxious!  To me it was no big deal – yet, the anxieties I’ve been wrestling with are no big deal to him, for I’ve spoken to him about such things in the past.  What we both need to think about is that the God Who has told us both to not be anxious has also told us that he “is at hand” in the words immediately before this command (Philippians 4:5).  In fact, it’s actually part of the same sentence! He wants us to realize that He is with us and that He is there for us in each and every situation.  That’s why we need not be anxious.  His command is an encouragement, not a domineering directive.  He implores us to trust him.  He wants us to have peace because of this. He wants us to grow in our relationship with Him so we can more fully grasp how wide and high and deep and long His love is (Ephesians 3:18).  It’s that love that motivates everything He has ever told us.  His command to not be anxious is an invitation to draw near to Him, no matter the situation we face. 

You see, my dad had fretted the night away perplexed because of a letter regarding his finances that he just didn’t understand. I, likewise, have been fretting about situations in my life that just don’t make any sense to me at this moment.  But to God, both of these situations are things He fully understands – for He knows everything. More than that, He can do anything.  And – He is in sovereign control of everything, including the situations in the lives of my father and me that have made us so anxious. But in all of this His command, rather His invitation, is to lean on Him, rely on Him, and talk to Him about it, for He is very near.  He is right there with us.  He has assured us that He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  And if we do that, really do it, He assures us that our anxiety will vanish. 

You see, as Jesus said in the verse above from 1 John 5, His commands are not burdensome, for they are motivated by His great love for us. Rather than be a burden for us, they are meant for us to delight in – for they, every one of them, are meant as a means for us to grow deeper and deeper in our love for Him as we understand more fully His great love for us. As Jesus told us, “If you love me you will obey me” (John 14:15) but that love is always a response to His love that always comes first.  It’s a love that has given us commands, not to burden us, but to bless us each and every day