Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.
As believers, we are not exempt from challenges in this world, but we can take comfort that we have peace with God and the peace of God. Just as a pilot’s reaction to emergencies will reveal whether he or she has taken the flight manuals and simulations seriously, when faced with anxiety-provoking situations, our response will also reveal whether we have taken God’s Word seriously by allowing it to take root in our lives to develop faith, because this is what lays the foundation for us to face life’s storms with God’s perfect peace.
The devil’s strategy is to try and steal the seed of God’s Word from our hearts through tribulations and challenges, but instead of being overcome by fear, we can choose to stand firm by allowing God’s peace to guard our hearts and minds through meditating on His Word.
Anxiety is real, so we must be compassionate when others experience it. People have varying stress thresholds, so it’s essential to understand that our spouse’s ability to handle stress may differ from ours.
There are countless sources of anxiety. Business owners may worry about their company’s performance, and employees about their job security in the face of an economic slowdown. If we are not grounded in our identity in Christ, our boss’ opinion of us can cause anxiety. Health issues can trigger anxiety while waiting for medical results or experiencing troubling symptoms, whereas retirement needs and our children studying overseas may also cause worry.
We like to dwell on the concerns that trouble us and meditate on negative scenarios that might not even happen. Focusing on the unknown not only does not solve problems but leads to hopelessness and depression. To combat anxiety, we must intentionally refocus our thoughts on God’s Word because our minds can only concentrate on one matter at a time. Therefore, we have a choice of whether to meditate on negativity or on God’s promises. By intentionally shifting our focus from the “what if’s” to God’s Word, we are pulling down those thoughts before they become strongholds in our minds, so that we can find hope and peace.
Therefore, be anxious for nothing and cast your burdens upon God and trust in His unfailing love. Meditate on His Word and we will have the peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Sermon Series: Keep the Peace (Part 1)
应当一无挂虑
腓立比书4:6-7 应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告，祈求，和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里，保守你们的心怀意念。
作为信徒，我们不能免于这个世界上的挑战，但我们可以安心的是我们与上帝和好，也有上帝出人意外的平安。正如飞行员对紧急情况的反应会揭示他或她是否认真对待飞行手册和模拟训练一样，当面对令人焦虑的情况时，我们的反应也会揭示我们是否认真对待上帝的话语，让它扎根于我们的生活中增加信心，因为这为我们奠定了基础，使我们有上帝完全的平安来面对生活中“完美风暴”。
魔鬼的计谋是试图通过磨难和挑战从我们心中偷走上帝话语的种子，但以其被恐惧征服，我们可以选择站稳，通过默想祂的话语让上帝出人意外的平安来保守我们的心怀意念。
焦虑是真实存在的，所以当别人经历焦虑时，我们必须富有同理心。人们有不同的压力点，所以必须理解我们的配偶处理压力的能力可能与我们不同。
焦虑有无数的来源。在面对经济衰退时，企业家可能会担心他们公司的业绩和员工会担心自己的工作保障。如果我们不以我们在基督里的身份为基础，老板对我们看法会引起焦虑。在等待诊断结果或身体出现令人不安的症状时，健康问题也会让我们感到焦虑，而需要退休和我们的孩子在海外留学也可能引起焦虑。
我们喜欢专注于困扰我们的问题和思考一些甚至可能不会发生的负面情景。专注于未知不仅不能解决问题，还会导致绝望和抑郁。为了消除焦虑，我们必须有意识地将我们的思想重新聚焦在上帝的话语上，因为我们的思想一次只能专注于一件事。因此，我们可以选择沉浸在负面的事情上或沉浸在上帝的应许里。通过有意识地将我们的注意力从“假设”转移到上帝的话语上，我们就可以在这些想法成为我们心的坚固营垒之前将其攻破，这样我们就能找到盼望和平安。
所以，应该一无挂虑地将重担卸给上帝，并倚靠祂的慈爱。默想祂的话语，这样上帝所赐出人意外的平安，必在耶稣基督里，保守我们的心怀意念。
讲章系列：保持你的平安（第一部分）
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