"Paul in Prison," frescoe by Ben Long, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Wilkesboro NC
Philippians: The Secret of Life (part 19)
“ANXIETY ANNIHILATING PRAYER”
Philippians 4:4 – 4:9
Rev. Grady Davidson 060511
Can you recall a person in your life who was significantly used in your life to shape your thinking? Probably many of us (myself included) would say that our thinking was shaped by our parents. No, they weren’t perfect—none of us are-- but for most of us our general outlook on life is probably more like our “folks” than we even realize. Then again, there may be others who came to resist the way their parents thought about life and the world around them. As a high school or college student you had a great teacher who had a way of thinking about the world that was different from anything you’d ever experienced before. The way that teacher saw things was beautiful and attractive and winsome, and after a year or two with that wonderful teacher you realized the impact of that person: he or she had shaped the way that you look at the world, and the way you think about yourself and others and the world around you. A couple of years ago I was talking on this very subject with a member of our church in some kind of a small group or Bible study setting. And when asked the question, “Who in your life has most shaped the way you think?”, this person named a local automotive mechanic who has much wisdom and insight into life.
As we come back to chapter four of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, we see that these important questions of “How do you think about life?” and “Who is shaping your thinking?” are very much on the Apostle’s mind. The Apostle’s burning desire for the church is that we would have the “mind of Christ.” In chapter 2:5ff:
“5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men..”
In the same chapter (2:2) Paul tells the church to be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Then once again here in chapter 4:2, when the Apostle is pleading with the two ladies Euodia and Syntyche, he pleads with them to be of the same mind in the Lord. (The same verbb, froneo, used in these 3 passages.) I think what the Apostle longs for is that collectively our minds would be so full of Christ; and that we would be so accustomed to knowing and thinking the very thoughts of Christ that 1) there would be a wonderful and congenial sense of unity in the church and 2) as individuals that we would experience the mental and emotional stability that the Apostle calls “the peace of God which surpasses understanding.”
Pop quiz: what was the last thing you worried about, and how did you handle it? Are you becoming aware of the “mind of Christ” being formed right down at the level of the way you think about your problems? Are you getting even a taste of the “peace of God” which stands as a sentry guarding your heart so that anxiety can’t overwhelm you?
Last week we talked at quite some length about how the mind of Christ changes the game for the Christian with regard to racing thoughts and obsessive, repetitive thoughts. But what about legitimate concerns and worries? Verse 6 says “Do not be anxious about anything,” but preacher, what if it’s an anxiety-breeding situation that requires me to take action? How does having ‘the mind of Christ” enable me to deal with legitimate issues which necessitate a response? That’s what we’re going to talk about for a few minutes.
Let’s take an example. Say that you are awakened in the dead of night with worries about your adult son or daughter, or your grandson or granddaughter who is hanging out with the “wrong crowd” and making poor choices. This isn’t in the 92% of worries that are imaginary or never happen; we’re talking about something in the realm of the 8% of worrisome things that can and do happen. The worry is robbing you of sleep; and you can’t focus the next day because now you’re worried and tired.
What are you going to do about it? Take that thought captive for Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). You put that thought that’s keeping you awake in handcuffs, and you say, “Thought, you are a real and legitimate concern, and I am going to deal with you, but not right now at this moment. Right now, I’ve got to get back to sleep (or do my homework or focus on my job). So I’m going to incarcerate you for the moment. I am setting you aside and I will deal with you on my terms at a convenient time (say, after dinner tonight between 7 and 8 p.m.). Rev. Ron Ragon, pastor of Brainerd Presbyterian Church for 30+ years calls that “setting a fret time.” You’re bringing your mind under the peaceful dominion of Christ, and you’re seeking to know the mind of Christ with regard to that little worry; but you come back and deal with the worry on your terms.
You go back to sleep; throughout the day while you’re at school or at work that worry will rattle the bars of his cage once or twice demanding attention… and you say “Shut up in there; I’ll get to you after dinner!”
Finally, hours later, you come to your fret time. At this point, you ask two questions: (1) CAN I do anything about it? and (2) SHALL I do anything about it?
In our example, you’re worried about your adult loved one who is making poor choices. “Can I do anything about this?” You write down a list of possible courses of action. (1) “I can commit to praying for my loved one 15 minutes every single day. Philippians 4:6 tells me not to be anxious about this, but to present this request to God by prayer and petition with thanksgiving… so this is something I can do: I can pray.” (2) “I can write her a letter in which I express my concerns and best hopes for my loved one.” (3)“I can invite him to come to church with me, and offer to pick him up and sit with him in the service.” (4)“I can have her over for dinner, or meet her for lunch a couple of times a month to discuss these things.” If your loved one is breaking the law and endangering himself and others, you can put on your list the option, (5)“I can call the police and report him!”
So in your fret time you ask yourself, “Can I do anything about it,” and you make a written list of the possible things which the God of peace, by His Spirit, can empower you to do. Now sometimes, you’ll take a hard look at your worry and determine that there’s nothing you can do. (You’re losing sleep because you’re worried that a terrorist is going to activate a dirty bomb at the Chickamauga Dam and flood Chattanooga… is it possible? Theoretically, yes. Can you do anything about it? No, there’s not.) At this point you bring it to the Lord and you replace the fear with faith, as you commit your worry to the power and love of your Heavenly Father. “You are God, and I am not; I choose to trust You about this.” Remember that fear is sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. It comes down to an issue of trust: do I trust the power of God and the loving heart of my Heavenly Father enough to give this worry fully over to Him?
You’ve come to your fret time. You’ve asked and answered the question, “Can I do anything about it?” Now you ask a question that is more difficult for most of us: “Shall I do anything about it?” I believe that many followers of Jesus just like us freeze up at this point. We choose to linger in a depressing, disheartening, anxious universe in which we know there are action steps we can be taking; and yet we lack the courage (courage comes from faith!) to answer the question, “Shall I do anything about it?” That’s a question that nobody else can answer for you. I suggest you prayerfully go through your list of possible actions, and circle the plan of action that you’re going to take and get on it! This is a very powerful way to deal with anxiety. Next week when that thought returns in the form of a potential worry, you take charge of that thought and you remind it that it’s already dealt with. You are doing what you can do (which is faith in action), and there’s no room for that worry in your heart.
There’s one more scenario. When you examine your list of things you can do in response to your worry, you might choose to do none of them. If that’s your choice, then say it aloud, and write it down: “I choose to do nothing at this time.” That can be OK, provided that you determined before Jesus Christ that it’s a settled matter in your mind, and you’re not going to worry over it anymore. By faith you’ve made your decision before the Lord, and henceforth you’re letting it go. All of this comes under the rubric of verse 8. You are a Christian who wants Jesus Christ to be Lord of your thoughts. You are cultivating the mind of Christ (2:5). You’re choosing to look at yourself, others, your circumstances and your God through the lens of faith—not fear-- and to fill your mind with that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. For the God of peace frees us from anxiety through right thinking!
This week: Seek the mind of Christ. In your daily prayer time (certainly a principle taught in verse 6) yield yourself to the Lord, asking Him to take charge of your thoughts. When you face a doubtful situation, ask the Lord to help you see His perspective. When you wrestle with an anxious thought, take that thought captive for m Christ, and then ask: “Is there anything which I can do? And shall I do it?” And may you know the peace and the power of the mind filled with Jesus Christ. Amen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boice, James Montgomery. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. Brand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000. Print.
Hendriksen, William, and Simon Kistemaker. New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI.: BakerAcademic, 1973. Print
Rees, Paul S. Proclaiming the New Testament, Vol IV. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1964. Print.
Ridenour, Fritz. How to Be a Christian and Still Enjoy Life. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1988. Print.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Joyful. Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2004. Print.Wright, N.T. Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2004. Print.
