“Give it to God”, “Leave your problems at the foot of the cross of Jesus”, “God is in control”, “Do not be anxious but surrender what is bothering you to God”. These, and I am sure there many others, are well-meaning Christian clichés that you have probably heard said by Christians to others or quite possible said to you when experiencing difficult situations.
Romans 8:28 is a popular verse that is also used by well-intentioned Christians who want to console someone who is experiencing any kind of trial. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Another often-used verse to help and even encourage someone who is experiencing difficulty is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Many times God uses others saying well-intended Christian clichés and verses from the Bible which are perfectly timed by the Holy Spirit to encourage us, to give us hope and to give us a proper spiritual perspective to many different kinds of difficult situations we might be experiencing.
When reading Philippians 4:4-7, 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. When I read these verses, I cannot help but to ask questions. Not to be cynical or sarcastic but to help me to apply the spiritual principles to my life and or help someone I know who needs to be encouraged.
The first point I notice is that Paul tells us in verse four to, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Does that “always” even mean when I am going through a difficult situation? For me, I can find it very hard to “Rejoice in the Lord” when the budget does not balance and in addition realize I forgot that I had to pay the vehicle insurance this month. However, Paul tells us (me) that “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Did Paul ever experience financial challenges? Was he ever in need? If we read a little further in Philippians 4:11-13 Paul tells us he did. “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. In a future message, we will discover what “the secret” was that Paul learned “of being content in any and every situation”.
Being “anxious” (ver. 6) is a symptom indicating that I let the challenging situation control my emotions and thoughts. As a result I will not be rejoicing nor will my “gentleness be evident to all.” What will be evident in me to others is my dissatisfaction or ill-temperedness and worry because I have lost sight of who should be in control of my thoughts and emotions, Christ Jesus. I have allowed the reality of my situation to overshadow who Christ Jesus should be in my life, under these difficult circumstances. Kenneth Wuest in his expanded translation of the New Testament translates verse five this way. “Let your sweet reasonableness, your forbearance, your being satisfied with less than your due, become known to all men.”
In difficult situations, if I am not careful to listen and intentionally submit to what the Holy Spirit is saying to me about my attitude I will be leaving myself vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.
Paul tells us what God’s remedy is when we are “anxious” or worried about the many challenging situations we might be confronting, (ver. 6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. He tells us to pray. The sad truth is that for some Christians the only time they pray is when they are facing difficulty because prayer is not a normal and regular activity in their life. They consider prayer like a spare tire when one gets a flat; they are glad it is there, when they need it but do not think about it, when they do not. When prayer is a daily and passionate practice in the life of a Christian, what Paul is saying in these verses makes perfect sense when he tells us to, “Rejoice”, Let your gentleness (or good attitude) be evident to all.
However, in the middle of verse six my attitude about my unpleasant situation is also displayed when I pray. Paul tells me that when I pray, I pray “with thanksgiving”. That does not mean I thank God for the difficult situation and the hardship I am experiencing. God does not want me to thank Him for the difficult situations that are the direct result of an attack of the enemy. However, the thanks I am to express is from experientially knowing who He is, His sovereignty, His omniscience, His love for me. The “thanksgiving” I am expressing when I pray is from knowing that God knows about my difficulties and will not forget about me. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7
This Thursday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. We will probably be with people and some who know us very well. If we are experiencing a difficult situation that even might be very serious, what about us will “be evident to all”? What will our attitude display to others? What words will be heard by our family and friends? Will our attitudes and words express our thankfulness and “be evident to all” for who God is and what He is doing in our lives and will do in about the difficult situation? If I have already learned to “give thanks in all circumstances” to God when I pray, it will be natural for me to have an attitude and words that will glorify God and not my difficult situation.
May Christ Jesus who is in your life “be evident to all” and have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Pastor John
