In Philippians 3, Paul gives some of the most important instructions for us to follow on our path to peace. In chapter 3, verse 1 he instructs us to "rejoice IN the LORD". Meditate on this for a moment. Our rejoicing is to come from our relationship with the Lord. We are to rejoice IN his goodness. We are to rejoice IN his mercy. We are to rejoice IN his forgiveness. This also means that we are NOT to rejoice in the world. We are NOT to rejoice in sin. We are NOT to rejoice in money, cars or pride. Many of us have placed joy in things and people that let us down. Then we wonder why we are so sad and depressed.
Paul then instructs us, in verses 7-16, to count some things as loss in order to obtain the excellency in Christ. To count something as a loss means that I no longer try to collect on it. It means that I no longer go back to it to try to get something from it. Paul teaches us to continue to forget the things in the past and press forward. How many of us are hindered by the things of the past? No one. But how many of us are hindered by HOLDING ON to the things of the past? MANY OF US! Many of you who read this post are holding on to past hurts, past grudges, past mistakes, and past toxic relationships. LET GO and move forward. Focus on what is in front of you, not what is behind. Christ has no room to pour his peace inside of you if you have "junk from the past" filling your heart. It's up to us - do we want to be right or do we want to have some peace? I gave a person an illustration once. We were on a football field in one end zone. I told her to look all the way down the field to the other end zone and focus. I then told her to look behind her. There were some cars and people in the parking lot. I then asked her if those people had any effect on her while looking forward. She said no. Get the point? There will always be a past behind us. But as long as we keep looking back and not forward, we can never move on. Letting go and forgetting means to let go and forget. It means to stop talking about it, stop texting and calling, stop bringing it up and put new things in your mind. Press forward and get your peace. Review. Research shows that if a person suffers from mental illness, then that person has a higher probability for outbursts of anger. It is an issue with your amygdala. Remember the brain has 3 large sections. The hindbrain controls bodily functions that we do not think about. The midbrain controls emotions. The forebrain (front) controls logic and clear thinking. Now, how do we get into the logical brain and get those emotions under control?
Method 1: SELF TALK. When we are emotional, we are also on the fringe of irrational thinking and behavior. We do not think about consequences. We simply want to lash out and tell somebody off or worse, harm them. The only way to get into the logical, sensible part of our brain is to ACTIVATE that portion of the brain. How do I do that? Here it comes. TALK TO YOURSELF. No cussing or threats either. Have a little fun with it by addressing yourself as “stupid me” and “logical me”. Now, don’t turn this into a mental illness. Remember the movie “Split”? Tell “logical me” to speak to “stupid me” and let “stupid me” know that I am overreacting and need to cool down. The very fact that you are talking and distinguishing between your logical self and emotional self is activating your logical thinking. Get it? You already turned on the “sensible you” before you realized you did it! There isn’t a method after this. This IS the method. That’s why this works. It’s the same as talking someone off the ledge. When you get a person to talk, they begin to THINK. When they THINK, they DELAY ACTION. When we delay action, we begin to RECONSIDER our choices. As soon as you say “logical me” or “sensible me” you have moved into the logical part of the brain. It takes mental energy to do this. It does not take mental energy to go off in a fit of anger. You just need to yell and throw stuff. Now you have to remain there and put “emotional me” back in the cage. Every second that you talk to yourself, you DELAY doing something stupid and give your logical brain an opportunity to take over the situation. Remind yourself that EVERYTIME I blow my stack, something bad happens. Remind “stupid you” that you wind up having to apologize and make yourself look like a fool. Talk yourself out of acting childish and bratty. Remind yourself that while people tolerate me, they are tired of me blowing up at the drop of a feather. Allow “logical you” to calm the other you down. It doesn’t matter how you FEEL. We are working to control BEHAVIOR which has a calming effect on feelings. Method 2: MATHEMATICS (what?) What more effective (and boring) way to turn on your logical brain than math? What better way to take the sting out of anger than the circumference of a circle? Who remembers the 3 different types of triangles? Do we feel like screaming or throwing something when we are measuring angles? This method worked for a dear friend of mine who has serious anger issues. Why? Because math requires logic. It requires thought and reason (and maybe a tutor). My favorite anti-anger math switch is “2+5”. Why? Because once again, the very ACT of doing the math turns on the logical and begins to turn off the emotional. Also, the more you do it, the more your brain will recognize what you are doing and become rewired. It will say, “oh, here comes that math trick again-that’s my cue to calm down” and will begin to react even before you finish the problem. (Put the durn calculators down, the answer is 7. I can’t take y’all nowhere!) Just two methods. They have a fancy name. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. It is the method of containing the emotional by activating the logical. So, find your logic switch, whether math, science, trying to remember birthdays, naming as many different birds as you can, or naming all 50 states and use it when you are angry or hyper emotional. Make it fun. People will ask you “how did you go from being so angry to laughing in 3 seconds?” You will then tell them “because I couldn’t figure out the math problem in my logical brain.” Ephesians 4:26-27 teaches us to “be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place {opportunity} for the devil.” Anger is not a sin. It is a response to a “wrong” or an injustice that we have experienced. But if left unresolved, anger often leads to sinful behavior. Let’s take a closer look at God’s anger management instructions.
“Be angry {when angry}” – Anger is a natural part of our lives. God is angry at wickedness. We should be angry at the evils and injustices being perpetuated in the world. But we also become angry with spouses, significant others, co-workers, the person who cut us off on the highway and an assortment of other individuals in countless situations. “And DO NOT SIN.” This is not a request, suggestion or hint. This is God’s command to us. But I can’t control myself when I am angry-- I just lose it-- I feel like hitting somebody-- I wouldn’t go off if people didn’t make me angry.” Lies. God did not give any of us an exemption. When he gives a command, we are fully capable of obeying it and he fully expects it to be carried out. While we may not be able to catch ourselves before becoming angry, remember that we are held 100% accountable by God for our BEHAVIOR. Anger, hurt, bitterness, and the like are not excuses for ungodly behavior. You may FEEL like acting out sinfully, but God prohibits it. “Neither give place to the devil”. When we are angry, we grant Satan a variety of opportunities to influence us to sin. When we have been wronged, we feel justified in seeking revenge, I mean justice. Many people have lost their lives due to uncontrolled anger. Some have damaged their own personal property (el stupido) while sinning in anger. A multitude of friendships have been permanently lost due to giving place to the devil. If you give the devil a room in your house, he will move in. “Neither let the sun go down upon your anger.” Yoohoo, married folks. You guys are the #1 violators of this requirement. We are not to go to bed angry. You might wake up dead. We must make every effort to settle disputes, extend forgiveness, or just let things go before closing our eyes for the night. Even if you can’t settle the issue, God still prohibits us from to retiring for the day in a state of anger. The Lord knows that some problems will carry over to the next day, but the anger is to remain in yesterday. Note concerning anger and mental illness. Research shows that those who suffer from depression and anxiety are subject to more frequent flashes of anger than those who don’t. You need to be aware of this tendency. But God still requires the same standard whether we suffer from depression/anxiety or not. Some of us may have to work harder to control our anger than others. We all have demons that challenge us. But regardless of our circumstances, we are held fully accountable for our behavior by God. Be angry and sin not!
Lip service must harmonize with life service. Our works must complement our words. God is not impressed with how loudly we shout, “Amen,” or “Lord, Lord,” or how high we raise our hands in a worship service. He is truly gladdened by witnessing us faithfully reaching our hands toward the needy and when we seek the lost with all our hearts. Religion that is real is more concerned with what a person is on the inside rather than how they appear on the outside. Our stability shows when storms come. The Carpenter of Nazareth is right. There will be storms, but our Rock will hold us firmly during every trial. Choose the Rock, not the sand. One is wise. The other is otherwise. How different our world would be if those who called Jesus “Lord” on Sunday lived under His lordship Monday through Saturday. Even Judas used the right words saying, “Hail, Rabbi.” He was witnessed also giving Jesus a kiss (Mark 14:45). Pagan Roman soldiers were clearly heard, as they looked at Christ and uttered, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Mark 15:18). Lip service must harmonize with life service. Our works must complement our words. God is not impressed with how loudly we shout, “Amen,” or “Lord, Lord,” or how high we raise our hands in a worship service. He is truly gladdened by witnessing us faithfully reaching our hands toward the needy and when we seek the lost with all our hearts. Religion that is real is more concerned with what a person is on the inside rather than how they appear on the outside. Our stability shows when storms come. The Carpenter of Nazareth is right. There will be storms, but our Rock will hold us firmly during every trial. Choose the Rock, not the sand. One is wise. The other is otherwise. How different our world would be if those who called Jesus “Lord” on Sunday lived under His lordship Monday through Saturday. Even Judas used the right words saying, “Hail, Rabbi.” He was witnessed also giving Jesus a kiss (Mark 14:45). Pagan Roman soldiers were clearly heard, as they looked at Christ and uttered, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Mark 15:18). Lip service must harmonize with life service. Our works must complement our words. God is not impressed with how loudly we shout, “Amen,” or “Lord, Lord,” or how high we raise our hands in a worship service. He is truly gladdened by witnessing us faithfully reaching our hands toward the needy and when we seek the lost with all our hearts. Religion that is real is more concerned with what a person is on the inside rather than how they appear on the outside. Our stability shows when storms come. The Carpenter of Nazareth is right. There will be storms, but our Rock will hold us firmly during every trial. Choose the Rock, not the sand. One is wise. The other is otherwise. A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression. (Proverbs 19:12 NAS).
HIS comment of many years ago has stayed with me. This godly elder said that when he would pick up litter off his lawn it made him angry. Then he decided there was no point in being upset with people who are inconsiderate and careless. He realized that getting angry did no good to the litterers and that it might be doing him some harm. So he resolved to change—he dropped his anger and picked up the trash. We are in charge of our attitudes. Otherwise, we would be enslaved to our emotions and be helpless victims of circumstances. God gave us the ability to monitor our own thinking, and evaluate our thoughts in light of His word, and change accordingly. We have the power to transform our attitude for the better whenever we choose. It isn’t easy, but with God’s help—and with practice—we can improve. Under Jesus’ patient mentoring, the apostles overcame their petty thinking and reactionary responses. They grew—and so can we! What if, for example, we decide in advance that the next time a driver does something we don’t like, we will remain calm? No angry looks, no screamed insults, no fist-shaking or retaliation. What if we decide to just keep driving? "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith, even in Israel.’” (Luke 7:9 NIV)
What does it take to amaze you? Your heating bill? The cost of a college degree? The night sky through a powerful telescope? The audacity of a prideful person? For Jesus, it was the faith of a humble person. The elders of the Jews came to Jesus asking Him to come heal the servant of a person whom they thought was deserving of His favor. Even though Jews felt superior to Gentiles, this man was a Roman centurion, who ordinarily would have felt superior to the Jews. However, this man, they said, loved their nation and had built their synagogue. Jesus evidently was going along with the elders’ request and was on his way to the centurion’s home when he sent word to Jesus that he felt unworthy to have him come into his home. He said, “But say the word and my servant will be healed.” Jesus was astonished by the centurion’s faith. It takes humility to have the kind of faith that recognizes that whatever our worldly position, Jesus wants to meet our needs. We have no claim on Jesus because of our good deeds, but He hears us when we humbly ask for His presence. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Lesson 1 showed us that we must not allow circumstances to control our thinking. Rather, we are to allow our minds to be at peace knowing that God is in control of all things, even when they look bleak. God often works through providence, turning what we see as “bad” into what he sees as “good”. He sees it beforehand, therefore, we must be at ease and trust Him. We will look at another key to peace in this devotional. Key #2 To Peace – The Humble Mind of a Servant (Philippians 2:1-11) In this passage, we are taught not to do anything from pride or glory. We are told to have a lowly mind, a mind that puts others first in all things. We must learn that the world does not revolve around us and we are not the most important person is God’s world. We are to choose to look out for the interests of others. This does not mean that we are to neglect our own needs. We are to put others first. But let’s be honest. Do any of us have a magic switch to be able to do this? Can self-centered people take a pill and become unselfish and servants of others? You tell me! Because we normally don’t flip switches, we need a model to follow. Little boys don’t figure out how to fix the tractor. Their fathers must teach them. Christ must teach us to be humble and lowly. He did it by showing us the ultimate example of sacrifice and submission. He came down from heaven to this sin filled planet. He took on human form and humiliated himself by doing so. But why did He do it? For himself? No. He did it for us. He did it to be able to serve us. The Son of God became the Son of Man to serve man. Service and humility is a key to peace. We can’t be at peace if we are arrogantly striving to control everyone and every situation. We can’t have peace if we fight and argue endlessly because we want to have “our way” like a childish brat. But do you see servants fighting? No. They are too busy serving the needs of others. There is always a need, therefore, there is always a need for service. Be a servant and imitate Jesus. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
This is one of the most often quoted passages in the Bible. These are but two verses out of a four chapter letter. Sometimes, we quote verses without the full context of the particular verses. Do you notice that these verses are toward the end of this great inspired letter? Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, gave instructions throughout this letter to teach us “up” to these last powerful verses. Key #1 To Peace – Do Not Let Circumstances Control You (Philippians 1:12-18) Paul, as many other 1st century Christians, was put in prison for preaching the truth. Paul also had ministers who were envious of his success, which he attributed to Christ and not himself. They often preached, not to spread the word, but to compete with and discredit Paul. But while in prison, how did Paul react? Did Paul pout by saying “poor little me, the others are free?” Did he resort to that humanism of self-pity and utter the famous words “why me”? No. He gave glory to God because he was now able to preach the gospel to the imperial government of Rome! He took the “obstacle” and turned it into an opportunity.” Also, he was not worried about preachers who preached for the wrong reason. He was glad that the gospel itself was being preached. We should never allow circumstances to control us. We must maintain our faith in God. Circumstances are literally things that “circle our stance.” Think about standing on a sidewalk by a light post. The wind is blowing paper and dust all around your head. What do we do in that case? We grab on to the light post and hold on. This is what we must do with our circumstances. We must hold on to Jesus (our stance) and not be blown about by the dust and papers of life. |