Rejoice in ALL Things
by Christian House
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 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. –Philippians 4:4-7
I was reading this passage a few months ago and came to a striking realization: The Holy Spirit is commanding me through the hand of Paul to rejoice in ALL things. This means everything because the word “all” is quite inclusive. However, many times throughout each day I find myself grumbling or complaining because I am inconvenienced or irritated about something. How many times do I find myself stressing out about a deadline or giving in to the feeling of anxiety? If I were honest I would say this happens more often than I would like to admit.
The problem is this: The Bible is telling me NOT to be anxious about anything, but to take my worries, fears, and angst to the Lord in prayer. So what does it mean when I choose to be swept away in worry and anxiety? It means I am choosing to walk in sin. That sounded so harsh to me when I first thought of it. The truth is, what the Holy Spirit tells me in Scripture must take precedence over my opinion.
So any time I grumble, complain, or am overcome by worry, fear, or anxiety and I do not bring these to the Lord in prayer, I am choosing to engage in sinful and rebellious behavior. How convicting is that? I probably worry and stress about dozens of things a day. What should my response be to this realization?
First, I must understand that in the sight of a perfect, holy, and just God, choosing to grumble and complain disqualifies me from God’s perfect standard the same way that murder would. Although different sins carry with them various consequences here on earth, all sin causes us to fall short of God’s standard of perfection.
Second, I must start realizing the times I complain or entertain anxiety.
Third, I must begin a process of immediately taking every complaint, worry, or fear to the Lord and intentionally engaging my Father in prayer. Prayer is both powerful and commanded of us in Scripture.
What is the promise the Lord gives us when we choose to obey? He promises us that the very peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Take a minute to think about just how amazing this promise really is! Do you want peace in your life? Do you want a peace that surpasses all understanding? Imagine having a peace in your life that is not dependent upon your circumstances. Imagine knowing that no matter what you are faced with, you have a supply of peace and strength that can only come from Above. This is exactly what God offers us when we choose to obey His Word.
I encourage you to make up your mind right now that the next time you find yourself stressing out, grumbling, worrying, complaining, unhappy, or full of anxiety; instead of looking to your situation, look to the Source of all things. For in Him we live and move and have our being.