Reflection: A Philippian believer: “My household in Philippi has been a tough place to live. We have all been so fearful. As soon as we hear the Romans are persecuting believers in nearby towns we all spiral down into anxiety. Sometimes we are not even sure if the stories are true.
“How can Paul say think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy? There’s so much fear and worry! But all these are attributes of God’s character, so Paul must be saying “our focus is on God, and not on all that is ‘bad’ and stressful.” That doesn’t mean all the bad things go away. We are still struggling and suffering for our faith. But we are choosing to see God at work in and through all that is difficult.”
A few thoughts for us…
- During the pandemic, many of us have focussed on all we have lost, on the uncertainties, on what we can’t do, and all that is ‘bad’. Paul’s words are so relevant to us at the moment. What can we choose to focus on instead of just the “bad” things?
- We will all feel anxiety at some point in life, and most of us have probably dealt with a lot of anxiety in the last 12 months. But what we do next is key. We can either spiral into anxiety or keep reminding ourselves who God is, what he has already done for us, and what he is still doing for us now. We should remind ourselves to focus on God, and all he is.
Prayer: Father – I praise and thank you for your truth, your nobility, your righteousness, your purity, your loveliness. You are worthy of all our praises. Please transform my thinking – so I focus less on anxiety and more on you. Amen.