We all know, or should know, that being a Christian is not a promise of easy living. On the contrary, when we are on the path of truth, many things seem to come against us to divert our attention from the focus, which is Jesus Christ.
And when I say the focus is Jesus, I have in mind the constant thought of obeying and pleasing the Father. Having full faith that the Son of God has given Himself for us. He has already acquitted us of all our sins and pains, giving us the possibility to live, through the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God. A place where there is no crying, sadness or unrest.
The biggest “problem” is that even though we have been reborn in Christ, we still live in a body of flesh. This body of ours is corrupted by sin and is unable to choose God’s will. This is why Paul says in the letter to the Galatians that we strive to walk constantly in the Spirit. Now, walking in the Spirit is nothing but living with our conscience focused on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against.
Why do we get restless?
The Bible portrays in the parable of the sower that there are three things that hinder our growth and fruitfulness in Jesus. These are the things: to ignore the word of God; not to deepen and nourish our faith and let the passions of this world get us out of the way (Luke 8: 12-14).
We still have our everyday life. We live in the midst of worries at work, at school, in family, in relationships among other things. And as I said at the beginning of the text, it seems that when we are with Christ, all these things get harder to deal with. And they really are. The temptations and sufferings of this life have the role of proving our faith and trying to make us stop. And that is why we must do our best to focus our minds on God’s peace. This is possible only through constant reading of the Word and prayer.
Often anxiety and worry make us see situations as overly problematic. As we relate to God through Word and prayer, we remove the lens of anxiety. As we wait on Him, we come to see situations as God sees them. We begin to see the miracles and opportunities He has given us instead of looking at what we lack according to our limited human vision.
Overcoming the concern
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (…6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 is almost a hymn to a life of peace with God. In it, the apostle Paul reveals a formula to bring us peace: prayer, supplication and thanksgiving.
We must present our requests to God through prayer and supplication, which must be accompanied by thanksgiving. As we submit our requests, we try to align our will with God’s sovereign will. When we make our supplications, we acknowledge our mistakes and sins and understand that we are not deserving of God’s grace. Through thanksgiving, we recognize the goodness of the Lord in every situation, whether good or bad. After that, the text says that God’s peace, which surpasses all our understanding (so that we cannot explain it), will guard, as a sentinel, our emotional and rational life. Represented through the mind and heart in verse 7.
May the peace of God and the grace of Jesus Christ be with all the brethren, to quiet your minds through a life focused on the kingdom of heaven. Amen!
