Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Media today is full of ads for medication to help us calm down, cure anxiety, and even combat depression. Even more marketers work hard to distract us from worry by drawing hearts and wallets to things they say will bring us great, if not lasting, joy. That word joy is such a key theme in Philippians. Here Paul gives us a statement that should be taken with great shock and not just glossed over. Say it out loud - Rejoice in the Lord always. Always? This is a command and it can actually always be obeyed - even in the middle of our worst conflicts, scariest moments and darkest days - because we know joy rests not on favorable circumstances but in character and actions of the Lord himself. And in case our eyes and hearts doubt it, Paul’s repetition reinforces it - rejoice.
Need help giving such thankful prayer in good or bad times? Paul tells us to pick up our gaze from situations which have us in a worried stupor to fill our minds with whatever God is about - true, just, noble, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. This reorients our hearts to really see just how great is our God, witness His supreme goodness, check His fulfilled promises, note His care for his beautiful creation, and embrace His steadfast mercy.
Such thoughts are not the end in themselves but move Christians into action. The antidote to worry is to give thankful prayer in everything. This giving of our hearts’ pains and desires to the Lord Jesus who has drawn near and abides acknowledges that the Lord cares, is listening, and is good enough to take care of our life. All of it. Every situation, every disaster, every heartache and every headache. And that surely gives me a lot for which to be thankful.
Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
第13天
腓 4:4-9
4你們要靠主常常喜樂。我再說，你們要喜樂。
5當叫眾人知道你們謙讓的心。主已經近了。
6應當一無挂慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求和感謝，將你們所要的告訴 神。
7神所賜出人意外的平安，必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。
8弟兄們，我還有未盡的話：凡是真實的，可敬的，公義的，清潔的，可愛的，有美名的；若有甚麼德行，若有甚麼稱讚，這些事你們都要思念。
9你們在我身上所學習的，所領受的，所聽見的，所看見的，這些事你們都要去行，賜平安的 神就必與你們同在。
現今的媒體充滿了各種幫助鎮定、醫治焦慮、甚至抵抗憂鬱症的藥物廣告。有越來越多的銷售商努力通過將我們的心思和金錢吸引到他們宣稱會帶給我們極大喜樂的事情上，而分散我們的憂慮。“喜樂”這個詞是《腓立比書》的一個關鍵詞。保羅在這裡的敘述應該使我們為之一振，而不是匆匆瀏覽而過。請大聲說：“你們要靠主常常喜樂”。怎樣做到“常常”喜樂呢？這是一個命令，它是可以常常被遵守的 － 即使我們是在最劇烈的矛盾中、最懼怕的時刻、或是最黑暗的日子 － 因為我們知道，喜樂不是基於良好的環境，而是基於 神的屬性和作為。為了防止我們心裡疑惑，保羅重複地強調它 －我再說，你們要喜樂。
我們是在順境中時做這樣的感恩禱告需要幫助，還是在逆境中時需要幫助？保羅告訴我們不要注目使我們憂慮的環境，而要滿心思想 神的所是 － 真實、公義、高尚、聖潔、慈愛、配得讚美……。這將調整我們的心思，使我們真正看到 神的偉大、見證 神至高的良善、查看 神如何履行諾言、關注 神如何照顧受造之物，並且迎接 神不變的憐憫。
這些思想不會僅止於此，而會帶領基督徒行動起來。治癒憂慮的良藥就是“凡事感謝祈求”。讓我們將我們心裡的憂傷和渴望都交托給主耶穌，祂靠近我們、關懷我們、垂聽我們的呼求、也照顧我們的生活，就是照顧我們生活的全部，包括每一個境遇、每一個苦難、每一次心痛或頭痛……。這一切當然會使我們多多地感恩。
這些事你們都要去行，賜平安的 神就必與你們同在。
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