May 26th, 2025

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. 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.”

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We end this month’s discussion on the thought life of the believer by considering an area of great challenge for many of us today: thoughts of anxiety. This generation of humans has the highest rates of anxiety in all of human history, especially among teens and young adults. It’s no wonder that this is the case. Now more than ever, humans are bombarded with world issues through the internet, constant self-comparison on social media, and disconnected in the real world from beneficial relationships. With such a prevalent problem, we must ask, what is the Christian response to thoughts of anxiety? Paul gives us two strategies of how to respond in today’s devotional verses

The book of Philippians is written for believers who were likely facing persecution for their faith. Paul had just been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel(Philippians 1:12-13), and likely similar threats were being levied to the other Philippian believers. As you can imagine, such a situation certainly would cause anxiety in a person. Paul writes these words in Philippians 4 as an encouragement in these anxious moments. 

The first part of Paul’s strategy for thoughts of anxiety is a plan for how to respond to thoughts and feelings of anxiety when they come.

Paul first reminds us of this central truth, which should bring us peace during times of anxiety.

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything”

The central anchor for the believer against thoughts of anxiety that try to disturb is the reality of an almighty God, who is near, in control and on our side.

All anxiety stems from uncertainty: uncertainty about how others may feel about us, uncertainty about our ability or someone else’s ability to perform, uncertainty about the present or the future, and the list goes on. But that’s why trusting God is the perfect remedy for such a condition. Although we may be uncertain of some things, we can be sure about the God of the universe, who has been consistent throughout the ages. 

Due to this strong anchor, we have in God, Paul then implores believers to depend on him. Instead of ruminating on the uncertainty of situations that cause worry, Paul calls us to pray, coming to God in humility and gratitude like a child who trusts his father, making our needs known to him. As we do this act, we have this promise from God: his peace, which is beyond our comprehension, will guard our hearts and minds. 

The second part of Paul’s strategy against anxiety is a method of mind renewal. Paul emphasizes to the church in Philippi the importance of what they choose to mediate on in their battle against anxiety. 

“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.”

It has been a well-known truth in psychology that what we meditate on creates thought patterns that form habits of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Paul recognizes that the kinds of things we choose to think about can generate anxiety and a lack of trust in God. Thus, he offers us a game plan for what we should meditate on:

True:

Meditate on what is accurate about life, God, and yourself according to scripture, not the lies of culture or Satan

Honourable:

Mediate on things that are worthy of respect

Pure:

Mediate on what is morally pure not sinful and unrighteous

Lovely:

Mediate on what is beautiful and worthy of awe, not evil that is disgusting to God

Commendable:

Meditate on what is praiseworthy

Excellent:

Mediate on what is morally excellent in God’s sight

As summarized in Paul’s last statement, we should think about whatever is worthy of praise, meaning things that God would approve of. We must be diligent not to let our minds consume whatever we please but to feed our thoughts in a healthy manner that pleases and praises God.

Thoughts of worry will always come. However, it’s not about if it comes but how we handle it when it comes. If we’re being honest, whenever we allow our minds to meditate on our fears and try to take things in our control, we ultimately say to God, "He is too small for our problems." I think it’s about time we increased the size of our God. He is the king of the universe! Is there anything outside his control?

Challenge for the Week

Meditate on and memorize, if you can, Matthew 6:25-34 this week. Get the truth of God’s control in your heart to help you battle against anxiety