We’re
doing a sermon series called, “The Bible’s Greatest Hits”, looking at the most
popular Bible verses as determined by searches at biblegateway.com.
Oddly, my two favorite verses, Matthew six, thirty-four and Luke twelve,
twelve, did not make the list. But the one we’re looking at today, number
six on their list, might be third for me. Philippians four, six and
seven: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And
the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I’ve read those verses several times
over the last week, getting ready for this sermon. And really, I could
not have been reading it at a better time. Because the truth is that in
recent weeks--really over the last few months--there have been a lot of times
when I’ve been anxious about all sorts of things. Maybe you have, too.
It can be hard not to be. After all, all of us have
situations in our lives that are not the way we wish they were. Maybe it
has to do with our own personal situation. Maybe it has to do with
something a loved one is going through. Maybe it has to do with our work.
Maybe it has to do with a relationship with someone. Maybe it has
to do with the situation in our country in in the world right now. When
you think about it, it’s pretty easy for most of us to find things to be
anxious about.
Our reading tells us that instead of being anxious, we should pray
and present our requests to God. And it says if we do that, then the
peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds. And that sounds good.
I’d like that. You probably would, too. Everyone probably
would.
But here’s the thing. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had
plenty of times when I’ve prayed about the things that I’m anxious about, and I
did not get that peace. I was still just as anxious as I was before.
Peace did not come to my heart and my mind. In fact, it felt like
nothing really happened at all.
And that’s why, in our reading, we did not just read those two
verses. We put those verses into context. Because when we read what
comes before and what comes after those verses, we see why we sometimes don’t
get that peace, and we see what we need to do to help us get it.
First, in verse four, it says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Rejoicing in the Lord helps prepare our mind for prayer.
Now, understand, to rejoice in the Lord does not mean we have to be happy
about everything that ever happens. There are plenty of times when things
come along that we’re not going to be happy about and that we should not be
happy about.
What it means to rejoice in the Lord, I think, is be happy because
God exists. Be happy because God is, and be happy because of who God is.
Be happy, and be thankful, that God loves us, that God wants good for us,
that God will help us through whatever it is that we’re tempted to be anxious
about. Be happy, and be thankful, that God has promised to never leave us
or abandon us. Be happy, and be thankful, that nothing happens that God
is not aware of. Be happy that the all-powerful, almighty God is also the
all-loving, all-caring, all-compassionate, all-gracious, all-forgiving God.
Now, we know all that. As Christians, we say we believe it.
But when we get anxious, when we get worried, when we get scared, we
forget it. Or maybe we remember it, but we just don’t quite believe it.
We wonder if maybe, this time, the problem is too big for God to handle.
Or we wonder if maybe, this time, God has decided to abandon us, to leave
us to our fate. Or we wonder if maybe, this time, God does not care about
what happens to us. We don’t put it that way, probably, but when we get
anxious what we’re really doing is doubting God.
Now, the point here is not to criticize us for doing that.
Most of us have done it, and God understands it. The point is for
us to be aware of what we’re doing, so we can stop doing it. When we get
anxious, we need to take a step back and think about who God is. Realize
that God really does love us, that God really will be there for us, that God
really can handle whatever it is we’re going through. If it helps, say it
out loud. But know it. Feel it. Believe it. God is
there. And God is love. And God will help us through whatever we’re
anxious about.
The next thing it says is that, when we pray, we should present
our requests to God “with thanksgiving”. It seems to me that, when we
read these verses, we tend to skip over that part. We’re not just
supposed to present requests to God. We’re supposed to do it “with
thanksgiving”.
That thanksgiving needs to come in at least two ways. One of
them is just thankfulness that we’re allowed to present requests to God.
I think, too often, we forget that. We take it for granted.
We forget how lucky we are, how blessed we are, that we are allowed to
present requests to God. After all, why does God need to listen to us?
Why should God even be interested in our requests? I mean, think
about it. If you were God, if you were the almighty, all-powerful God,
would you be interested in the requests of these puny, weak human beings?
Why?
But God is interested. God is interested in our requests.
God encourages us to make those requests. You and I are invited to
come into God’s presence and make requests of God. That’s such an amazing
thing. We should never take for granted the honor and privilege of being
invited into the presence of God and being allowed to make requests of God.
We should always be thankful for that.
But there’s at least one other thing Paul means when he says we
should present our requests to God with thanksgiving. If we present
requests with thanksgiving, what does that show? It shows that we expect
God to listen. We expect God to hear. And we expect God to respond.
We should be thankful to God because when we present our requests to God,
we know God will respond to them.
And God wants us to know that. God wants us to know that God
will hear our requests and that God will respond. Now, that does not mean
that we’ll get exactly what we want exactly when we want it. We all know
that. But God will hear, and God will respond. The response will
come in God’s way and in God’s time. But God will hear, and God will
respond. And that’s something to be thankful for.
When we rejoice in the Lord, knowing that God loves us and God
will be there for us, and when we make our requests of God with thankfulness,
knowing that God is interested in our requests, wants to hear them, and will
respond to them, what does that give us? Paul spells it out. He
says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
And is that not what we all really want? To not be anxious
about anything, but instead to have the peace of God in our hearts and in our
minds?
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like you had
the peace of God in your heart and in your mind? I know some of us have.
Maybe some of us feel it now. I hope so. But if you’ve ever
felt it, think about what that felt like. Think of how good it felt.
And if you’ve never felt it, think about how good it would feel. To
not have to be anxious about anything. To not have to worry about
anything. To have the peace of God in your heart and in your mind.
I don’t always feel it, but when I do, it’s about as good a feeling as I
can have.
Paul tells us how we can have that feeling. Before we pray,
think about who God is. Think about how faithful God is. Think
about how powerful God is. Think about how loving God is. Think
about how God is always there for us and always will be, no matter what.
Then, whatever we may be anxious about, give it to God. Ask God to
take care of it. And be thankful that God wants to hear our requests,
that God will hear them, and that God will respond, in God’s way and in God’s
time.
You and I don’t have to be anxious about anything. We have
the all-powerful, all-faithful, all-loving God on our side. And when we
have God on our side, we don’t have anything to worry about.
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