During times like this (this is written in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic), it is easy to feel anxious, unsettled, uncertain, lonely, and fearful. Take a moment and allow yourself to feel those emotions. Those emotions inform us and tell us things. I knew as I was feeling some of these emotions that I needed to seek truth and peace. As news was hitting me from all sides and it was hard to know what was true; I needed to go to the one source of Truth I could count on.

Over the last couple of weeks a few different verses from the Bible have been coming to mind. Now, if you don’t find yourself following the same faith tradition as me, I encourage you to keep reading. This is not going to be me just reciting some Bible verses, but what I really want to do is offer some practical steps for finding peace during this time. God’s Word has the answers and I am so thankful for that.

These verses were coming to me one by one, but I began to realize they were all from the same section of scripture. And, typical of how things tend to flow, I was being hit from all different sides with these same verses. I was seeing them in my readings, clients were bringing them up, our pastor was referencing them, our small group was studying them. It was time to pay attention with more focus. What follows are my practical takeaways from Philippians 4:4-9.

Peace despite our circumstances

This portion of scripture is written by Paul. I wish I had more space here to go into who Paul was, but wow what a story! Let’s just say, if you have ever struggled with not feeling good enough, feeling ill-equipped, or you have a sinful past that you feel is not redeemable, you might want to learn more about Paul and his amazing transformation and how God used him. Paul’s life was not easy. He spent a lot of time persecuted, beaten, and years in prison and house arrest. Paul went through a lot, so when he talks about peace, I am going to listen. If this guy can find peace in his circumstances, maybe I can find peace in mine. **Note: I am not a theologian or a Biblical scholar. These thoughts and ideas are from my years of getting to know God and studying His Word.

As I wrote this all out one Saturday afternoon, I surprised myself with the length of the content. That being said, I have separated this into four individual posts. I hope you stick with me through this series: A path toward peace.

Let’s begin in verse 4…

Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

The verses we are going to look at here were written by Paul when he was in prison. He begins in verse 4 where he tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always…” Remember, he is in prison. Do you feel like you are in prison right now? Do you feel stuck? He probably needed this reminder just as much as we do…more than we do. The Greek word for rejoice “chairo” means to be glad. It’s hard for me to imagine being glad while in prison. You might be finding it hard to be glad in your current circumstances.  

Practical application: We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can always choose our attitude. In times of trouble, center yourself by turning your focus back to God and reminding yourself of His Goodness and Truth. This might be listening to an old sermon, reading a quick devotional, writing out a truth you know (like Romans 8:28) on a notecard and putting it where you can see it and repeating it every time you walk by. Remember, we don’t have to feel like doing something in order to do it. Sometimes we have to act our way to a new feeling. When we don’t feel like doing something is probably the time we need to do that thing the most.

Philippians 4:5- “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

In this verse, Paul reminds us to be gentle and that God is near. One of my favorite parts of scripture is in Galatians where Paul talks about the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). There are so many admirable qualities of the Spirit like patience, love, and self-control that I just wish I could be better at. What is so comforting to me is they are called fruits of the SPIRIT. As flawed, broken humans, we are not fully capable of living out these qualities on our own. We need the Spirit to fully live these out. Want the good news? If you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. With Him, you can be more like God. In this verse, Paul talks about letting our gentleness be evident. Gentleness is one of those fruits of the Spirit.

Practical application: There is no better time than now to tap into the Spirit and live out that gentleness with those God has placed in our path. So many are living with fear and anxiety…we can offer the peace they so desperately need. For me, this might be being gentler with my kids and husband. Understanding the frustrations and fears they may have and using that as an opportunity to be gentle and offer kindness rather than project my own worry or stress onto them. Or this might be being gentle with coworkers as you all adjust to different work environments and routines. Who do you need to be gentler with in your current circumstances? Remember we are all experiencing this world crisis together. This should not be a time of division, but of a time to recognize our common humanity.

Check out the video corresponding to this post.