Peace and How to Experience It, Part 2

Philippians 4v8-9

31^st May 2024

Many medical problems are best addressed by both consulting a doctor and adjusting our live choices. There are things we can do for ourselves to improve our condition, and there are things that we need a medical professional to diagnose and prescribe for. Many gastric problems, for example, require both medication and a change in diet, and perhaps an increase in regular exercise. A similar situation applies to our spiritual and emotional problems. Paul is writing about the dis-ease of anxiety, a lack of peace. Last time, we read:

Philippians 4v6-7
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.

Here, Paul teaches us about controlling our minds by appealing to God in prayer. He continues the theme of controlling our minds when he says:

Philippians 4v8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

We can appeal to God - our spiritual doctor - in prayer for peace of mind. We can also choose what we think about. Some people might say "I can't help thinking about this or worrying about that" but we Christians have been given a spirit of self-control (Galatians 5v23, 2 Timothy 1v7). Surely this self-control can apply to our thought lives as well as to our actions. We can, and need to, develop this self-control (2 Peter 1v6). We can practice controlling what we think about, in order to get better at doing so consistently.

• It is better to think about what is true than what is false. It is more helpful to study the Bible than to study false religions or heresies. Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8v31-32).
• It is better to think about what is noble than what is undignified. It is better to focus on what we respect than what we despise, on what we might aspire to than what appeals to our sinful nature.
• It is better to think about what is right than what is wrong. "Right" here means "just", as in the modern phrase "do the right thing", which means "do what is just". It is better to think about justice than injustice. Fixating on injustice can make us bitter. instead, celebrate justice when you witness it, and rejoice that at the final judgement God will do justice perfectly. meanwhile, consider the question, "How can I treat other people justly?"
• It is better to think about what is pure than what is dirty. It is better to contemplate art than pornography, better to consider faithfulness than unchastity.
• It is better to think about what is lovely than what is unlovely. A mountain view is lovelier than a rubbish bin. A kind act is lovelier than cruelty. The word of God is lovelier than a horror film.
• It is better to think about what is admirable than what is despicable.
• It is better to think about what is excellent or praiseworthy than what is ordinary or unworthy. It is better to praise what is good than to indulge in gossip about what is not.

Isn't it?

Paul concludes this section of his letter by saying:

Philippians 4v9
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Paul has reached a level of maturity in Christ where he is so sure that his life is pleasing to God that he is quite ready to put himself forward as an example to others. There is no false modesty with Paul. Whatever we can learn from Paul, and other new Testament writers, and wise, godly men and women through the centuries and in our own generation, whether it's something we've learned, or heard from their lips, or seen in their actions, we can put it into practice.

We can summarise verses 6-9 in this way: In verses 6-7 Paul taught us about prayer as a means to peace. He says that if we will pray, "the peace of God will be with [us]". In verse 8, he talks about our thought lives as a means to peace and in verse 9 he talks about our actions as means to peace. He says that if we will control our thought lives, and if we will seek to emulate him (and, by extension, other godly people) then "the God of peace will be with [us]". There is a sense, of course, in which God is always with us. Here Paul means, I think, that we'll be aware of God's presence with us. Let us lay hold of these promises, as Paul did.

This all makes perfect sense: we can ask for God's help, and we can help ourselves. We're well advised to do both. Paul promises us, in his authority as an apostle and in inspired scripture, that if we will do both we'll be aware that God is with us, and will experience and God's peace in our hearts.