It’s panic time! Have you ever been there? Of course you have! All of a sudden, life throws a “curve ball” your way, and you do not know how to handle it! The Apostle Paul sensed that the Philippians needed to be reminded that this was no time to panic. The pressure of the culture was mounting, and here was their leader in a Roman prison. Through all of Paul’s challenging circumstances, he always sensed the presence and purpose of God in his life. Now, he wanted his dear church members to live with the same confidence. It is so easy for us to allow life’s circumstances to shipwreck our faith in God. Something doesn’t go as planned, maybe it’s a witnessing opportunity, maybe it’s our kid’s spiritual growth, maybe it’s our health, and all of a sudden, we forget the past. We forget what God has already done to prove his love for us. This is why Paul begins this challenge with rejoicing in the Lord – no matter what! In essence, he is saying that they tend to focus on their unpleasant circumstances or even unimportant events too much. Sadly, we tend to do the same. Instead, we must live as if we believe that God is sovereign over everything, and HE IS TRUSTWORTHY! Paul then focuses on a spirit of gentleness over reactions! Whether his focus was on avoiding retaliation against their enemies or eliminating “rights-filled” reactions to fellow church members, Paul was adamant that the Philippians needed to check themselves, avoiding foolish behavior. Finally, he reminded them how to handle anxiety – with faith-filled prayer. How are you handling your anxiety? What if we got to the point of understanding that we don’t need to understand everything that happens to us, but simply trusted God? It’s time to overcome all the “noise”, trusting in our God!
Posted in Devotional