February 14
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PRAYER & THANKSGIVING EQUALS GOD’S PEACE
5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:5-7
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In this letter of Paul, he recommends to the Philippians the importance of having a gentle spirit and having it manifest for all people to see. Baker’s Evangelical defines “gentleness as a sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior founded on strength and prompted by love. In the King James version, it is defined as moderation. Why does Paul advised the Philippians to show it off? Human nature will not automatically be gentle, that is why Paul probably explains in the next sentence of the same verse that the Lord is near. Without the Lord’s presence in our lives, it is impossible for us to be gentle. After the fall of Adam and Eve, our nature is inclined to being selfish. One cannot be gentle, unless they have Christ in them, who is the epitome of selflessness and sacrifice.
Paul also gives the believers an antidote to worry and anxiety which is prayer and thanksgiving. Because of the curse of the fall of our first parents, the key to our freedom and dominion was handed to the serpent. This is why it is so easy for us to sin but very hard to stay pure and holy. Worry and anxiety is sin because when we indulge ourselves in these two negative acts, we are not operating in the image that God created us to be, which is love. Since God is love, and we are made in His image, we are supposed to operate in love. Perfect love casts out fear. So, fear is the cause of worry and anxiety. It is a form of mistrust in the character of God who is our protector, provider and maker. In Matthew 6:26-28, we are given an explanation why worry and anxiety are something that questions God’s provision and love for us. When we pray, we are humbling ourselves to a higher being who is so good to provide all our needs. When we thank the Lord for all his gifts, there will be no room for worry or anxiety. As we pray and give thanks, we reap peace that exceeds all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Jesus. What powerful life lessons Paul gives the believers! He equips us to walk in the Spirit instead of gratifying our flesh and sinful nature.
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REFLECTION
• How does the world view worry and anxiety as opposed to God’s view?