Rejoice, Be Gentle, Dwell on Good – Philippians 4 (NIV)
Rejoice, Be Gentle, Dwell on Good – Philippians 4 (NIV)
There are some real "hits" here in chapter 4! verse 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" That’s a big one. And right after that verse 5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Rejoice and gentleness – very pleasant and peaceful.
Then, because he knows we will be anxious, he says to be anxious about nothing! I’ll tell you what, I’m anxious all the time about nothing! Whoa! See what I did there? What’s Paul’s prescription for anxiety? Prayer. I deal with a lot of anxiety and prayer helps but not typically when I’m just phoning it in. When I truly stop and commune with God in prayer, that helps.
What also helps is the next hit about what to dwell on: whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. And also putting into practice the things I’ve learned, received and seen in others. The mind really is tricky.
Like when you hear something in the middle of the night and the adrenaline kicks in. When you realize it was just the dog, you still are amped up for a bit. When you dwell on things, it affects you. Good or bad – it has a real effect.
I think these are great things Paul says to do and the spirit of the message is great too: rejoice, be gentle, dwell on good things. The trick is, in my opinion, like my praying when anxious, is finding the true way to these things.
You can’t just rejoice because Paul says to. You have to find the route to true rejoicing. That’s typically found in trials and suffering when you realize that all you have is Jesus and He is all that you want. Being gentle comes from losing everything and needing comfort then finding it. Then you can comfort others in gentleness.
Dwelling my mind on good things requires I value that good and see it in those things. So it’s simple but not easy. And it’s not just a matter of choice. It’s a matter of the heart to rejoice, be gentle and dwell on good.
* Paul’s Prayer
* All Good
* Worthy Conduct
* Humble like Christ for Others
* Anger Hurts Unity
* Paul’s Two Friends
* Garbage and Suffering
* Press On
* Heaven’s Citizen’s Values
* Rejoice, Gentle, Dwell