Episode 340 - "How to receive God's peace" - Philippians 4:8-9

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

In the preceding verses covered in our last episode, Paul writes to the Philippian believers that God provides a peace that is not fully comprehensible by the human mind, and the way to appropriate that peace is through prayer with supplication and thanksgiving. In other words, our prayers should be characterized by both giving thanks to God and making earnest requests. They are not to be simply utterances of memorized words. There is nothing wrong with praying what is often called the Lord’s Prayer. But if we are just expressing the words as if the simple act of saying the words evoked some divine power or response, we are off base. We must be intentional about both praise and our requests.

In verse 8, Paul leads with a final “finally.” First, he tells his readers how to think, then how to act. In education, we speak of three domains of learning. The cognitive domain is what we think and understand in our minds. The affective domain is how we feel and what we value. And the volitional domain is what we do. These need to be in harmony with each other. It’s easy to learn something and think we believe it. Yet, if it doesn’t affect what we care about and how we act, it’s worthless.

Paul knows that the Philippian believers will continue to experience persecution and that it may create anxiety in them, and understandably so. The sense of injustice and evil of that will evoke strong emotions such as anger, grief, despair, and frustration. But Paul has already been down this path, and he gives them advice on how to endure, drawing on his own experience and the Lord's guidance

He tells them to think about or focus upon things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise. I can’t help but admit that I often find myself thinking about the opposite. I think about the falsehoods we hear in the news and from politicians. I think about the injustices I observe in the world. I think about corruption and disingenuousness among so-called religious leaders. Why would I do that? Because that’s what comes from the world in which we live. They are common experiences, and they wear us down.

How do we begin following Paul’s advice when it is so easy to dwell on the problems upon and around us? Well, one suggestion is to follow a pattern we sometimes find in the Psalms. In Psalm 13, David complained to God, expressing his belief that God was ignoring his problems. But then David remembered the good things the Lord had done for him before and resolved to praise God. Others might need a long walk in a park or nature area where they can take in the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. Depending upon the situation, it may not be easy or quick. But it’s a lot more helpful than rehashing the struggles we are facing in our minds at the time.

When we start to think more about the positive things given by the Lord, we are in a better position to act more in line with Paul’s actions. He tells them to emulate what they have learned, received, heard, and seen in Paul. Paul says we should “practice” these things. By intentionally thinking about these good things and practicing what Paul has both taught and demonstrated, they can become conditioned responses to endure the trials that come upon us. Understand that Paul is not bragging. Paul is simply telling them, “Hey Folks! You are aware of the persecution I’ve endured. Here’s how I’ve learned to deal with it. Give it a try, and God will give you peace.