Title Philippians 04:4-7 Evaluation of Christians
Contents
Christian peace (Philippians 4:4-7)
Statistics researched by psychologists show that people usually think about 10,000 things a day. Then you think about 3.5 million pieces in a year. I can't help but wonder how realistic and usable these ideas are, and how well they are actually used. Most of these will be futile thoughts, worries, worries, worries, and fantasies. Therefore, if you control your heart and mind well, you can have true peace and joy. “He who rules his heart is better than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). The text of the text is about how and why Christians can be at peace.
1. Always rejoice.
To be at peace, your heart must always be happy. That way you can be both healthy and happy. But how can we rejoice if we inherited poverty from our parents, now we are afflicted with a terrible disease, and we are in debt due to failure in everything we do? In this situation, people have no choice but to live with sorrow and resentment. But a Christian should rejoice even if he is in such a situation. Paul is writing this letter of joy in a cold prison. As he was about to die, he felt a real peace. Those who follow Jesus have this kind of peace.
2. Be generous.
Tolerance means giving up your legal rights. It belongs to me, but I give it to someone else for free. When you can give to others, you can taste true freedom and peace. Because you can't do this, you fight with other people, and because of your obsession with it, you can't live without it. It's hard for me to live too, how can I yield to others? How can you be tolerant when you have to step on someone else to win? Those who are not tolerant will never find peace. God's law is to give. Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you; and it will be given to you, pressed generously, shaken and overflowing, and given to you.
3. Don't worry about anything.
Anxiety in our lives is like a leech sucking blood that never runs out. We live worrying about various problems such as children and business. But if we want to live in peace, we must not be anxious. The Apostle Paul tells us not to be anxious about “nothing.” Anxiety is a sign of unbelief, and it is an attitude of unbelief toward God. Let us cast away the worries that gnaw our souls.
Why can we always rejoice, be tolerant, and cast our worries away?
1. Because the Lord is near.
The second half of verse 5 says, “The Lord is near.” The Lord is always with us until we go to heaven (Matthew 28:20). He is with us when we are broken, with us when we make mistakes, and with us when we are weak, so don't worry about anything. For us, the Lord alone is enough. Paul boldly said, "No one can separate me from the love of Christ." The source of Paul's joy was in the Lord who was always with him. Fanny Grosby, who had been suffering from epilepsy since 6 weeks after being blinded by a doctor's mistake, attempted suicide several times, but after meeting the Lord, she gained new hope and courage and wrote a hymn of joy and gratitude. By the time she was 82, she wrote 6,000 hymns, 13 of which are included in our hymns. She confessed that the darkening of her eyes was rather a source of blessing and joy. Our joy is in the Lord.
2. Because the peace of God guards our hearts and minds through our prayers and supplications.
God has given us the tools of prayer and supplication. Prayer is a conversation with God in general. Supplication means making a request to God for special requirements. Since God can't do anything, He has told us to pray and ask in "everything". He is above all understanding, and He fills us more than we think. But God's greatest blessings are by no means material and visible. It is the peace that comes to our hearts and minds in any circumstance. When we have true peace in our hearts, nothing in the world is envy. Amen.