In middle school, I remember a persistent cough that my dad
couldn’t seem to shake. Something trivial the he and his doctors chalked up to
different superficial conditions. However, as time progressed, different people
suspected pneumonia as the reason for his problem. It wasn’t until a
radiologist finally took an MRI of his chest that the lymphoma was found. My
dad had cancer, and what appeared trivial at first was something much more serious,
even life-threatening.
Unfortunately, symptoms that appear superficial may, in
fact, indicate real problems. This is true not only of our physical bodies, but
of the body of Christ. Hesitation, fear, and even disagreement within a local
body of believers might appear non-threatening at first; however, upon further
investigation, they might be symptoms of the cancer of worry. Worry can kill a
church, paralyze a believer, and keep the mission of God from moving forward.
Because of our sin nature we are spiritually predisposed to
worry in much the same way some are genetically predisposed to different
illnesses. This begs a simple question, “is there something in our strategy as
believers to combat this disease?” Thankfully, the answer is yes and
Philippians 4:6-7 spells out our prescription.
I. PART #1: THE CALL
TO PRAYER-4:6
In the book of Philippians, Paul writes to a stellar group
of believers who are running the race of their ministry well. When chapter four
of this incredible letter finally rolls around, Paul erupts in a long list of
encouragements that he hopes will sustain the already thriving ministry and
propel it into the future. One special grouping of these encouragements is
found in verses 4-9. All of the encouragements found in this small passage
unite around a theme of peace. In verses 4-7, the encouragements speak
primarily to situations in life in which peace may be lacking (i.e. “rejoice”
in the midst of despair, “let your gentle spirit be made known” in lieu of
anger or malice, etc.) However, special attention seems to be given to the third
of three commands in vv. 4-7. This command is stated, “Be anxious for nothing”
(4:6). Though this is a positive command, “be anxious for,” immediately it is
made negative by the adjective, “nothing.” In other words, “worry about
nothing.” In life and in ministry, there is nothing that any believer ought to
worry or be anxious about.
Similar teachings can be found in Matthew 6:25-34 when Jesus
prohibited worry while giving a lengthy lecture series in Galilee. There, He
identifies several common carcinogens that often contribute to anxiety:
concerns about physical attributes (v.27), clothing (v.28), food and drink
(v.31), and the future (v.34). Ultimately, Jesus concludes “So do not worry
about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself…” (6:34).
Paul echoes Jesus’ teaching and instructs the church at
Philippi to be “anxious for nothing.” Though this church was a shining example
of ministry in the first century, it is not as though this church was free of
any trouble that could cause anxiety or fear among those in its congregation.
Just listen to these words of Paul in chapter 3 verse 2.
Philippians 3:2-“Beware
of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.”
The church of Philippi had its own set of issues to be aware
of, but nothing to worry about. Similarly, every church that has ever existed
has its own share of issues to be aware of; however, anxiety has no place in
the life of a believer, let alone his/her place of worship. The believer ought
not worry about anything. However, what prescription does Paul provide when
worry does flare up or anxiety comes out of remission?
The answer is as simple as it is profound—surrendering
everything in prayer, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (4:6b). Prayer is the
cure for anxiety. In this one verse, three words are used to describe prayer.
The first two provide the method of prayer, indicated by the word “prayer” and
“supplication.” “Prayer” is the most general word used for communication with
God. In light of this context, curing your problem of anxiety means consulting
the great physician, making necessary appointments, and disclosing everything
of concern to Him (i.e. every contagion that might be contributing to the
symptoms of worry present in your life). However, in these appointments, one
must also request treatment. This idea is wrapped up in the word,
“supplication,” meaning to ask with urgency based on presumed need.
Everything needs to be brought to God in this way. There is
nothing that needs to be left out of.
If you went to an oncologist in order to have cancer
treated, you would be asked a series of questions concerning your symptoms, family
history, and previous illnesses. How well you answer these questions will
determine how well the doctor treats you. Therefore, it would be foolish to
leave anything out. Instead, we are encouraged by our physicians to tell them everything. In the same way, God desires
for us to bring Him everything that concerns us to Him in prayer. The only
difference is, He already knows what ails us and already knows how best to
treat us.
Because prayer is the cure for anxiety, it cannot be
accompanied with a spirit of worry. Prayers are not a means/excuse to worry more. Instead, they are vehicles
used to send and drop off our worries before the Lord. This is why prayer
offered to God must be given with an attitude of thanksgiving. It is hard to be
anxious when you are thankful. In fact, one might make the case that
thankfulness is the furthest attitude from worry. Paul understood that when believers
in Philippi adopted a sense of thanksgiving in their prayer lives, they were
already on the fast track to having God cure them of their anxiety.
The third word used to describe prayer in this verse is
“requests.” This is the essence of prayer-- “to let your requests be made known
to God” (4:6). However, as “good Christians” we have been taught that filling a
prayer with requests is somehow off-putting to God. Though thanksgiving,
confession, etc. are championed in different popular works on prayer and
encouraged by pastors everywhere, voicing requests is often treated as
secondary and less important. This does not seem to be the case in Scripture.
Though God does enjoy being praised and thanked and loves to be pursued for
forgiveness, I believe that God is equally delighted to hear the believer’s
requests and answer his or her needs. Why? It is the very act of bringing a
request to God that demonstrates surrender to His supreme power, praises Him
for His ability, and confesses dependency on Him in one’s lack. There are fewer
things that bring God more pleasure and afford Him more glory than coming
through for His people when they ask Him for things that He alone can
provide-including a cure for anxiety. (Similarly, there are fewer things that
bring a doctor more joy than seeing a patient who is riddled with cancer go
into remission after treatment).
In this short verse, the believer finds the answer to the
age old question, “Why pray?“ At the very least, prayer (as it is most
appropriately exercised under an attitude of thanksgiving), removes worry from
the heart of a believer as it is in process. It also allows for requests to be
made of God which demonstrate the believer’s inability and God’s supreme
ability. This creates a situation in which God is pleased to intervene in order
to glorify Himself by doing what only He can do in a multiplicity of scenarios.
II. PART #2: THE
CONSEQUENCE OF PRAYER-4;7
In the place of anxiety, prayer yields the “peace of God,”
(4:7a). Notice, this is not just any kind of peace; it is the very peace of
God—perfect peace from the only One who can give it. Such peace acts as a
fortress that “guards...hearts and minds” (4:7a) from anxiety and all other
stressors in the life of a believer. Therefore, not only will God cure anxiety
in answer to the prayers of His children, He will prevent anxiety in the life
of a believer by means of a bulwark of peace. In fact, “guard” in this context
is a military term, implying that peace stands on duty to keep out anything
that brings worry.
In keeping with our extended metaphor, think of peace as an
inoculation a third party (namely, a doctor), provides in order to alleviate
the risk of disease. God provides peace as an inoculation against the
contagions of the world that desire to wreak havoc on the hearts and minds of
believers. However, this inoculation is offered only in His office which can be
entered at any time through prayer.
The kind of peace that God provides is not only divine, and
not only guards the hearts and minds of individual believers, it also “surpasses
all comprehension” (4:7b) or “transcends all understanding.”
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not
finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece.
The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings
arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The
judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped
and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures
remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the
crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush
of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed
undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the
second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost
feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with
lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter
chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its
branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking
to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the
elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she
rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her
little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
This is the kind of peace that God
provides when His people call upon Him. Peace and rest in spite of everything
contributing to the contrary—peace that “transcends all understanding.”
In the biological
community there is something called homeostasis. This term describes a state of equilibrium in
living organisms—whether in a single cell or an entire system of living things.
Cells or other living things require equilibrium/homeostasis to reproduce and
thrive. Therefore living things work hard to maintain optimal temperature, PH,
oxygen saturation, and metabolism for that purpose. When something is
introduced into the body, cell, or system that disrupts homeostasis, it becomes
very difficult to thrive. The same is true in the spiritual lives of believers.
God offers believers homeostasis (peace) that allows an individual, a church,
or the entire body of Christ to thrive as he/she/it performs his/her/its
mission in the world. Because we as believers cannot maintain homeostasis in
and of ourselves, God has prescribed prayer as a means through which we can
demonstrate our dependency on God for our equilibrium, allowing Him to provide
peace, even in the midst of incredible duress.
Such peace, introduced in response to prayer, is only made
possible “in Christ Jesus.” In other words, one must be “in Christ Jesus” in
order to know peace like this. Actually, one must be “in Christ Jesus” to pray
in the first place. Christ, the prince of peace, provides the way of
communication to God by means of His death and resurrection. Without this,
believers in the church at Philippi or in churches today would still be at odds
with God and with no means of communicating with Him. However, thanks to Jesus
Christ, the lines are open for those who believe in Him and what He has done to
provide salvation. All prayer and all peace is given as a result of Jesus’ work
of redemption.
So What?
Inasmuch as believers and this church are predisposed to
anxiety because of our sin and the flesh, creating an opportunity for the
cancer of worry to kill the progress of the gospel, we must answer the call to
prayer as it provides the cure for our distress. In answering our prayers, God
provides peace that passes all understanding, providing the right kind of
environment for us to thrive and continue the mission He has given us of
knowing Him, growing in Him, and showing Him to the world.
Prayer must not be forsaken. Instead, everything needs to be
brought before the Lord in humble supplication. Don’t worry, God never tires of
hearing your requests. Instead, He delights in seeing you and I depend on Him,
and desires to glorify Himself by answering us in our need. Our church must be
a place of corporate worship, relationships, obedience to the Word of God, and
surrendering to the Lord in prayer. May it never be said of our church that we
are a place of anything else.
Isa. 56:7-“…For My house will be called a house of
prayer for all the peoples.”
No comments:
Post a Comment