Philippians 4:5-7
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
We have talked about worrying and why it is not good for you. Paul, the writer of Philippians, tells us not to be anxious about anything. That is easy for him to say. There is a whole lot about which to be anxious. We also spoke about not going it alone. There is no need. We have the option of relying on God in all things.
How do we ask for God’s help? Paul tells us that, in every situation, we should use prayer and petition to make our requests known to the Lord. It does not say in some situations but in every situation. So is Paul suggesting we take everything to God? Yes he is. Not just the big things or the bad things but everything. If we fully rely on God (F.R.O.G.), we can have His peace. His peace is beyond our understanding. That means that you can be at peace while in the middle of great turbulence, while others around you are struggling. That does not make sense, does it? When you are in the center of God’s will, things go according to His plan and it all works out to your best interest. He loves you and wants what is best for you. What about the thanksgiving? You should approach God in prayer with a boldness thanking Him in advance that He has already made a way for good things to happen in your life. That is what His promises teach us. Hebrews 13:6b says “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…..”
What about the gentleness thing? Tell me, how do you want to be known? You can reason with people and persuade them of your case or you can bully them. There is an old expression which says “people convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.” You can do a full on frontal assault but the casualties are not usually worth the fight. What if you were able to share your viewpoint and show them you have a lot in common and could work together for the good of all? Would that be a better approach? With prayer, God will go before you paving the way and leading you to a win-win situation. God can give you favor with those with whom you did not have good rapport.
Finally, Paul tells us that God’s peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. When you are at peace, will you think more clearly? When you are at peace, will you make better decisions? Will you be able to think win-win? When you focus on Christ, His light will shine through every good thing you do. It is out of the overflow of His love that your gentleness will be evident. When you hold Him near, He will influence you to be your best and others will notice! Live today as your best you and people will notice!
Thank you Lord that you are my Helper and will inspire me to be my best. I trust you will grant me favor with those I meet! Thank you for helping me write this devotion. Amen!