A man who hated and feared flying went on a world tour. When he came back, people jokingly asked him if the plane held him carefully. He angrily answered, “I never did put my full weight down on it.” Imagine that he didn’t enjoy the whole trip because of his fear of flying. Most of us are like that. God is taking us on a wonderful providential flight and has promised to completely hold us, but we are afraid to put our full weight down on Him. As a result, instead of enjoying the providential flight, we are always filled with worries and anxieties. All of us know what worry is, but we don’t realize that it is a result of sin.
Out of all creatures, only man has the prospective ability, foresight. He can travel in his imagination to the future and get pleasure or pain from a future event. God created man with that foresight so he could see the future consequences of his present actions in this life and in eternal life and live wisely now. Just as sin twisted everything in us, it twisted this ability, which keeps man always worried about the future. Worry is the most popular pastime of the human race. Someone said it is “a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If given room, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” Worry is the most common mental disorder.
We often feel anxious about our finances. “What if I lose my job? How will I pay for my kids’ education? What about marriage and other expenses? What will I do after I retire? I haven’t saved much, and there’s no pension for me. What will I eat or do for my expenses?”
We worry about health, especially as we grow older: “What if I get a serious disease? Who will pay for my medical bills?”
We worry about our kids: “Will they turn out okay? Will they study well and progress, get a decent-paying job, or will they become lazy and destroy their lives as daily-wage earners or vegetable sellers, learning bad habits? What will happen to them after we die? Will they be safe in this crime-ridden world? Will they marry a godly person and have a happy home?” Let’s say they grow up, study, get a job, get married, and have a good home. Will we stop? No, we will start worrying about our grandchildren.
The list could go on and on. Maybe you’re getting anxious just from listening to me give different reasons for anxiety! “Oh, I didn’t think about that. I should start now.” Sometimes, we can’t identify any specific reason for our anxiety, but it’s there, nagging at us. If we don’t learn to deal with it properly, it will not only cause all sorts of health problems but also spiritually hinder our progress and make us live lives unworthy of the gospel. Paul, in today’s passage, is going to teach us how to deal with worry.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We will ask three questions of these verses: What is the command—be not anxious? Why shouldn’t we be anxious? How are we not to be anxious?
What is the Command?
There is a command and a scope. It is a negative command. God is telling us not to do something: “Be not anxious.” What is the scope? “Do not be anxious for anything.” Wow. Anyone can say, “Don’t worry, brother,” but the wonder of this verse is “do not be anxious for anything.” Paul hits us with these all-inclusive words. “Rejoice always, be gentle with all men, and now, be anxious for anything.” That is where I came up with the title, “No worries at all.” What about my finances, my health, that problem, this problem that has reached a critical level? Everything and anything is included. No matter what your circumstance, how complex, difficult, or confusing, God’s word to you today is “do not worry.” It is never right to be anxious. That is the command.
Why Shouldn’t We Be Anxious?
There are four reasons: it is a sin, it is an expression of unbelief, it reveals the wrong focus of our heart, and it is dishonoring to the gospel.
First: It is a sin. “Do not be anxious” is as much a command as “thou shalt not steal” or “thou shalt not murder.” Sin is disobeying the command, right? If we excuse our anxieties by saying, “Well, it’s only human,” or, “Anybody would feel anxious in this situation,” we will not overcome it because we are not confronting the root cause of it, namely, that it is a sin against God’s command. If I say, “Don’t worry,” you can say, “What does he know about my situation?” But this is God’s command. God knows what you are facing and what you will face. God cares about what you face in life. God has promised to take care of you. Worry is a sin against the command of such a God.
Secondly: It is an expression of our disbelief in God. Our Lord in Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.” We studied this in Matthew; He gives eight reasons not to worry, and we will go through them one by one. He concludes that section by showing the root problem of worry: “O you of little faith?” Worry is an expression of unbelief. Worry says that God is dead, and if He is alive, then He is incapable of doing anything about my situation. Worry calls God a liar; it doubts His ability to meet your needs.
Thirdly: It reveals the wrong focus of our heart. Our Lord in the same passage also shows that worry reveals our life’s focus is wrong. We are focused on the things of this world instead of on the kingdom of God. Verse 6 says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Worry comes as a result of wrong priorities in life, instead of seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness. We are not living for God’s kingdom and not realizing what God is doing in our lives in this difficult time, allowing the trial to grow our faith, dependence on Him, and gentleness. As James says in 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Instead of focusing on God’s kingdom in us and the growth of righteousness, when we are selfishly focused on how we can be happy in this world, that we should not face any problems and that we should have all peace and prosperity, then when trouble comes, we are filled with worry. So our Lord says worry reveals that your heart has the wrong life focus, and that is why you are always worried. Seek His kingdom first.
Fourthly: Worry makes us live a life unworthy of the gospel. I already told you that Paul’s main theme in Philippians is for us to live a life worthy of the gospel and to be a Christian witness to a perishing world. How do we live like that? First, he says to be joyful in every situation. Why? Not just so that they will be happy people, but so that they will be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ. Secondly, we saw that we should be gentle with all men. Thirdly, we should be people who are without anxiety. These three things will make every non-believer ask, “There is something in those people that I really want. That joy, gentleness, and peace. I don’t have it.” That will draw them to the gospel. If you are always sad and filled with worry, no one is going to ask, “How can I worry like you?” So, for the sake of our testimony of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we learn to live without worry, especially in the face of trials.
This teaches us to examine our motive for not living without worry. If our reason for wanting to be free from anxiety is so that we can live a peaceful, happy, pleasant life, our focus is self-centered and therefore wrong. Now, Paul is going to teach us a secret for how to live without anxiety. It is not a magic formula, “If you’re anxious, anyone can try this technique; it works.” That will not work in our lives if our motives and life focus are wrong. Our life priority should be living for the gospel. There are many people who come to God because they want peace and joy, but they settle for a selfish Christian life where they want to use God for their own peace and comfort. If we are like that, we will never experience the peace of God or deliverance from worry. In fact, in the parable of the sower, Jesus warns (Luke 8:14) that the seed which fell among the thorns represents those who have heard the gospel, “and as they go on their way, they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”
They are deceived into thinking that they are Christians, but the truth is, they are just living with the same focus the world has, namely, for personal pleasure and peace. If we are like that, we have to confront that and repent and seek God’s kingdom first as a priority in our lives, because the peace Christ offers is the by-product of seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness first.
So, why should we not worry? There are four reasons: It is a sin, it is an expression of unbelief, it reveals the wrong focus of our heart, and it is dishonoring to the gospel. “If you’re always anxious, examine either your lack of faith in the living God,” or, “Examine your life focus, whether you’re living for His kingdom/gospel or for yourself.” Confess the sin to God, repent, and change your life goal. Seek His kingdom and righteousness first.
Before we go to the next point, let me clarify that Paul is not saying we should live with a careless, carefree, or irresponsible attitude toward people or problems. You can take this command and say, “Yes, Pastor, no worries at all. I am obeying this command. I am carefree. I don’t worry about anything in life,” leading to apathy or inaction, claiming that they are obeying the command. That is wrong. “I don’t worry about the future. I will keep spending and not save anything.” This is living carelessly. There is a difference between living with attention and living with carelessness or indifference. Attention is absolutely necessary for the discharge of our duties in the world. Paul is talking about a selfish kind of anxiety, which fills our minds with burdens, makes us inactive, injures us, and displeases God.
We should avoid worldly, selfish worries, but we should shift our care and worry to God’s kingdom and how to live a life worthy of the gospel. We should care deeply about people and their problems and should work hard to resolve them. As members of the same body, we are to have mutual concern for one another (1 Cor. 12:25). Paul mentions the concern that he bears daily for all the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). He tells the Philippians that Timothy is genuinely concerned for their welfare (Phil. 2:20). In each of these verses, the word “concern” is the same as the Greek word for “anxious,” but clearly, it is not sinful anxiety but proper concern. It is proper to be concerned about our future welfare to the extent that we take responsibility to plan and save for future needs (Prov. 6:6-11). But proper concern turns to sinful anxiety when we lack faith in God and when we put self at the center instead of God’s kingdom and righteousness.
So we have seen what the command is: “Do not be anxious.” We have seen four reasons why we should not be anxious.
How Not to Be Anxious
It is easy to say not to be anxious, but how? Here is a divine secret that will work for every child of God whose focus is to seek God’s kingdom first.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This is the divine antidote to sinful anxiety. The divinely appointed means to avoid sinful anxiety is to cultivate a prayerful life after the pattern of this text. A prayerful life is marked by this expansiveness: in everything. What is everything? Everything that makes you worry. You should learn to convert those things into prayer.
Paul mentions four Greek words for prayer, which overlap in meaning and yet are helpful to distinguish: Prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and requests.
First, by prayer. This is a general word for coming into the presence of God. In the midst of my worries, I acknowledge God for who He is by coming to Him in humble prayer. Though my worries may seem big, by prayer I see Him for who He really is. It is a picture of a fearful, weak child running to the bosom of a powerful father. My trials seem so big, trying to fill my heart with worry and sorrow. I am leaving that behind and going into the presence of God. When we get our eyes off our troubles and can focus them on the face of our Heavenly Father, then as He grows larger in our hearts, our problems grow smaller in our minds. When trouble comes in your life or mine, one of the greatest sources of strength is our ability to escape from our world into His. We can literally step into a realm where troubles, sorrows, and worries cannot follow.
Secondly, by supplication. This word gives prominence to the sense of need. It is not a flippant prayer; it refers to an earnest sharing of our burdens, needs, and problems. Now, people ask, “Doesn’t God know our needs? Why ask Him?” Calvin says something deep: whatever our needs and lack, God has primarily ordained prayer as the means to fulfill those needs. This is because the exercise of prayer purifies our desires. It prepares us to receive all blessings thankfully and humbly, being reminded that they come from His hand. Such blessings we receive in this world will not harm and destroy our souls with pride. Such blessings received through prayer will help us to love God more, depend on God more, come closer to Him more, delight in Him more, and trust Him more when we see how He has blessed us in answer to our prayers.
The third word is with thanksgiving. This talks about the attitude of prayer. As we approach God with the worries, fears, and burdens of life, we should do so with a thankful heart. Why? We have a God who cares about us, who hears us, who loves us, and who has promised to answer our prayers when we call upon him. Besides that, regardless of how bad life becomes, God has directed our path to that point, and he is actively working out his will in us (Romans 8:28). We need to learn to be a thankful people!
When you are anxious, thankfulness is not automatic or spontaneous. You have to do it deliberately by faith. More than anything, thankfulness in the midst of trials glorifies God. You glorify his goodness. It forces you to think about the good things God has done in your life and makes you count your blessings; that exercise itself balances anxiety. To thank God in the midst of a trial is to submit to his sovereignty. You are saying, “Lord, I don’t understand this, but I submit to your sovereign purpose in this situation, and I know this will work for my good.” You are honoring his power for the future, even though you don’t see how he is going to do it. He is able to meet our every need as we cast ourselves on him.
Fourth, “let your requests be made known.” The requests should be of a specific, definite nature. Whatever makes you anxious is your actual problem. So often, our prayers are so vague and general that we couldn’t know whether God had answered them or not. We ought to specify our wants in detail so it is deeply imprinted in our own consciousness as a prayer request, so we can praise him when our prayers are answered. We should never be afraid to approach God with the specific needs of life! We should be specific. Every time we feel anxious, we should say, “Lord, I am anxious about my kids, my job situation, today’s project, my health, and these specific things.” Whatever makes you anxious, you should be specific.
Sometimes we fail to ask because something seems too trivial or small to trouble God about. A woman once asked the preacher Campbell, “Do you think we should pray about the little things in our lives, or just the big things?” He retorted, “Madam, can you think of anything in your life that is big to God?” So whenever you’re anxious, come to God in reverent, humble, specific, thankful prayer. “I lost my key” makes you anxious. Pray. Children not listening? Pray. Instead of worrying, the child of God is counseled to pray.
There’s a beautiful touch here in the original, a phrase that means “towards God.” When you feel tense and worried, this is not a matter of retreating into yourself and doing a little yoga or meditation and getting your act together, quieting your mind, or turning inward upon yourself from all your cares. No, there is a blessed objectivity and focus about the prayer. All this prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and requests should be “towards God.”
Make your requests known “to God.” The Greek word means “face to face with God,” to come directly before him. This means that when we pray, we must realize we are coming into the very presence of the holy, almighty God of heaven, where even the holy angels cover their faces and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3). This God has now become our Father. Yes, he welcomes us into his presence as a father welcomes his children.
This God invites us to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. It is a throne of grace for us, but this is also the throne of the universe. We come to the sovereign, eternal God. He rules every world and every situation that causes us anxiety. In all your frailty, in everything that would cause your spirit to be turbulent and distraught, you come, and in the language of Hebrews 4, you pour out your heart before the throne of grace so that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
The Result of Prayer
Finally, the verse talks about the result. Then what? Will all my problems be solved, with an immediate miracle and the situation changed? What will be the fruit of such an expansive, prayerful spirit?
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The word “guard” is a beautiful word. It literally means “shall garrison,” like a garrison of soldiers. The Philippians, being a Roman colony, often saw a garrison of Roman soldiers protecting someone or some place or something so tightly that not a mosquito could enter. Paul uses that and says, “the peace of God shall garrison your hearts and your thoughts.”
Why the heart and mind? Because anxiety always attacks these two. It starts in the mind, right? Thoughts come in, and slowly emotions well up in the heart, attacking our heart. It makes us tense and raises our heartbeat. A wise man said that guarding our heart is the secret of the wisest life. “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the issues of life.” Your thoughts, words, and actions flow from that. It is the center of our being. Whatever catches our heart catches our whole being. If sinful anxiety has got your heart, it has got you. And it stains and leavens the entirety of your life. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” If my mind thinks only negatively, with no joy or rejoicing, when filled with worry, we can never be gentle with anyone. We bash around people and say bitter things. We do all the wrong things and live a life unworthy of the gospel.
Well, what do I need at the deepest springs of my being so anxiety will not be able to penetrate and take hold of me? I need to have a garrison around the heart and the mind. And that garrison is the very peace of God.
What a beautiful metaphor! Here you’ve got a military concept in the securing of peace. You have a garrison, and that garrison is the peace of God. In fact, if you want to rejoice in the Lord, show gentleness to all people, and not worry, your heart must be guarded. So I believe verse 7 starts with a conjunction, “and,” because this may apply to all three commands from verses 4 to 6.
“The peace of God will guard over your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.” What a rich phrase! Imagine the glorious peace of God will come and stand as an impenetrable guard at the door of our heart and mind. When the whole world is in turmoil around us, attacking us from every side, and saying all kinds of wrong things, the peace of God will not allow one drop of anxiety to enter our mind and heart. No negative, worrying thoughts and no worrying feelings. Even in the midst of all the emotional situations, we will be able to think with balance and act wisely.
This is the kind of peace that “surpasses all understanding.” In other words, it is “a mind-blowing experience.” This is a state of being where you are calm in the heart and mind despite the fact that turmoil and strife are raging around you. This is a calm in the heart that exists even though your storm still rages. It is a mysterious thing, but it is God’s gift to those who will trust in him “in everything.” It is a peace that cannot be disrupted by the problems, disturbances, and difficulties of life. No matter what happens around us—we lose all of our goods, we lose our health, people say 101 things, our plans are frustrated and dashed into pieces—that in the midst of all of that, we can still have serenity, non-anxiety, and rejoice in the Lord, not get angry and grouchy at the entire world. Is such a life possible? Yes, it is.
Those who have experienced it can conceive what peace flows into the soul. The heart that was agitated becomes serene; and the thoughts that were distracted become composed. Yes, an inexpressible sweetness pervades the whole person and turns their sorrows into an occasion of joy.
The world may wonder, “How is this person so calm and balanced in such a trial?” “I would have jumped up high and down, even for small things, we are so upset.” But here, they are not disturbed one bit. They are so calm and so peaceful, with no negative words, acts, or a face that is so gentle. It surpasses their understanding; it blows their mind.
Do you know this is the very peace that is in the heart of God that comes as security to guard our heart? This is peace from a God who is never subject to anxiety because he is the sovereign, omnipotent Creator and Lord of the universe. Nothing takes him by surprise or makes him bite his nails, wondering how it will turn out. Our God is called the “God of peace.” This gives us the sense that my God is sovereign, my God is loving, my God is in control of everything in my life for his glory and my good. Nothing is beyond the purview of God’s control. He’s orchestrating everything for an eternal purpose.
That is why you should notice the key to it is the final phrase of the text. Look at it. Our friend is back again, “in Christ Jesus.” He comes back to that fundamental, beautiful, basic concept of union with Christ. You see, there is a direct line in the apostle’s thought from the infinite fullness of grace that is in Christ to the deepest recesses of the heart of the humblest believer. And it is in union with Christ that the virtue and grace that is in Christ is poured into the heart of the believer so that the peace of God garrisons both heart and mind in union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we get this peace? This blessing comes to us “through Christ Jesus.” When the Lord was in the world, he left some glorious wealth for those who follow him. Jesus promised, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). He spoke those comforting words on the most difficult night he faced on this earth, the night before his crucifixion. Oh, what peace he had in Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha! In spite of the greatest injustices, cruelty, pain, torture, and shame, his peace was like an ocean. That infinite peace is my inheritance in Christ. That peace can be the constant experience of every Christian, even in the midst of trials. Again, in Paul’s situation as a prisoner, he knows this peace.
The way we experience this peace in union with Christ is through prayer. It is not just calm until you get through the crisis. Paul is talking about an ongoing, deepening peace in your relationship with Christ. In a time of trial, you draw near to the God of peace, you focus on his grace to you in Christ Jesus, you pour out your heart to him, and the result is, his peace stands guard over your heart and mind.
So we see “what,” “why,” and “how.”
I have heard believers who faced terrible times, even our own sister Triesa when she went through cancer. During those difficult times, they say, “The peace the Lord gave me while I was in the hospital is far beyond understanding. His grace is sufficient, and I found that to be so true. His strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Application
Practical steps: Realize worry is a sin. Realize prayer is the only antidote to worry and the only means to experience God’s peace.
Realize worry is a sin. Worrying is as definitely forbidden as theft. This needs to be carefully pondered and definitely realized by us so that we do not excuse it as an innocent infirmity. The more we are convicted of the sinfulness of anxiety, the sooner we are likely to perceive that it is most dishonoring to God, disbelieving, and makes you live a life unworthy of the gospel. Then you will “strive against” it (Hebrews 12:4). But how are we to “strive against” it? First, by begging the Holy Spirit to grant us a deeper conviction of its enormity. Second, by making it a subject of special, earnest prayer so that we may be delivered from this evil. Third, by watching its beginnings. As soon as we are conscious of harassment of mind, as soon as we detect the unbelieving thought, lift up our heart to God and ask him for deliverance from it.
Realize prayer is the only antidote to worry and the only means to experience God’s peace. See, some of you may be searching high and low and here and there, with a racing heart and panic attacks. You go to the doctor, who says everything is normal, and tells you to do some yoga. See, the fundamental cause of your anxious spirit may lie right here.
All your uncontrollable worries and racing heart are loudly saying to you that your focus in life is wrong. You are not seeking God’s kingdom first, and your top priority is not to live worthy of the gospel, but just to live happily with the fleeting pleasures of this world. Examine yourself and confess to God, and do not worry what you will eat or drink, but seek God’s kingdom first.
Realize prayer is the only antidote to worry and the only means to experience God’s peace. If you want victory over worry and you want to have the steady enjoyment of God’s peace, then learn to cultivate this kind of artless simplicity in true prayerfulness. Don’t miss the words “in everything.” “In everything . . . let your requests be made known to God.” Pray about everything. Stay in a mindset of prayer all day. Don’t just pray in crises. Pray about everything.
What enemies to ourselves we are who live in the neglect of prayer! Those of you who worry a lot, do you see the cause? Peace with God can never be obtained but by prayer. Think, you prayerless people who will not pray voluntarily, how foolish you are.
The songwriter says, “What a friend we have in Jesus . . . all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit . . . O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
Simply, whenever you feel anxious, learn to go to God and tell him all that makes you anxious. Convert all your worries into prayers. Draw near to God in reverent, specific, thankful prayer. You can put your full weight down on him, and he will bear you up. It makes the flight so much more enjoyable!
Then you will find the promise fulfilled in your life. The peace of God will guard your mind and heart. Don’t you want this kind of protection? It is the greatest protection. What is the use of protecting a house with full Z-plus, black cat security like the Prime Minister has when your mind and heart are full of troubles? This is heaven’s Z-plus security. The peace of God will guard your heart and not allow one drop of worry to enter.
A pilot started to take off the plane and then realized there was a big rat in the engine. He could hear it biting some cable. “Oh, if it bites some important cable,” he thought, “he could lose control of the whole plane.” He had climbed, and the next airport was two hours away. The rat was continuously biting. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It is not made for the heights. Therefore, the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, and then another thousand, and another until he was more than twenty thousand feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. He could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights. After two hours, he safely landed at the airport.
Friends, worry is like a rat in your heart and in your mind. If left alone, it will gnaw at you until it crashes and destroys your life and until it steals away all your joy, power, and energy. But the rodent of worry cannot live in the secret place of the Most High. It cannot breathe in an atmosphere that is steeped in prayer and influenced by the Word of God. Worry dies when we ascend to the Lord through prayer and his Word.
Finally, people ask, “Can you give me a book on how to be a good testimony, how to be a witness for the gospel?” Brothers, I give you these three gospel commands, this trilogy of gospel duties. You take this trilogy of gospel duty and take it seriously. And by the grace and power of God, begin to live like that. And my friend, you are a witness. You are a testimony. You can’t help but be.
I hope it has captured your heart and created a desire to live like this. Imagine what a light we will be if we live like this in this dark world full of sorrow, cruelty, and worry.
How do you think a world will react to seeing a person who is always rejoicing in spite of trials, sick kids, or financial problems, and no matter what changes in life? A person who is gentle with all people, even the most difficult and rude person, with people you cannot be gentle with? When all people blame him for everything that goes wrong, when a boss at work treats him unreasonably, when kids treat their mother always troubling her, and she or he is always gentle. What does the world do with a person who doesn’t worry about anything and doesn’t allow worry to attack him?
It will scratch its head in total confusion wherever the world sees such a person. God’s voice of conscience will scream and say, “This is what you need in life. Whatever he has is your greatest need.”
You say you don’t have an opportunity to share the gospel at your workplace or with your family. If you live like this, very soon you will have hundreds of opportunities, in the language of Peter, to give a reason for the hope that is in you. People will inevitably ask you out of curiosity, “How can you be like this? What in the world makes you tick, man, woman, or friend?” Think of your own conversion. If you have to come to the gospel, it must be that you have seen one of these things in a Christian and you wanted that.
God, who is very concerned that we live as a light in the midst of darkness and as salt in the midst of putrefaction, has given us three simple, practical ways to be a good witness. I hope you will never forget and will regularly cultivate these three traits in your life, in dependence upon the Lord.
Pray that your life will be characterized by constant joyfulness, by manifest gentleness, and by this continuous non-anxiousness by the grace of God. Now, such a life is possible in Christ.
I pray God should engrave these three duties in our hearts.
For those of you who are still not believers, it is impossible to live like this outside Christ. Six times in four verses, “the Lord,” “the Lord,” “Christ,” “God,” and “God” are mentioned. It shows you cannot have these without repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life, whatever joy you may attain, cannot know constant rejoicing. Your joy is all temporary and based on the situation. It is very rare. No wonder you are always depressed. See your faces in the mirror. You can never be gentle. You will always be rude, angry, and bitter. This will grow, and as you age, you will become more like demons. Then you will be filled more and more with worries, and it will destroy your soul.
If you are saying, “Oh, I know how worried my heart is. My heart is torn in a hundred directions, anxious about everything. I am a depressed psychological patient, always sad. I am rude to everyone. It is as native to me as breathing.” I hope all that we read will make you eager to become a Christian. God gives these blessings only to Christians, to his children who come to God through Christ.
The Lord Jesus sees your life and says to you, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is the life of rest to which he invites us
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 