Where is Your Focus?

We focused on Philippians 4 this morning in staff meeting, and it was a gentle reminder of where we need to keep our focus in life.

What struck me this morning was from verse 6 and 7:

Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 - NLT)

I like technology. Having the Bible available at my fingertips in several versions, has helped me understand things better in recent years. Being able to recall verses I memorized as a young kid (yes, I was THAT kid), but to now see them in a fresh light, helps me grow in my Christian walk.

I memorized this passage in the King James version of the Bible. I memorized most of the verses I know in the King James. It was the 1970's and most churches were still King James type churches. It amazes me how many still remain that way in the 20-teens ...

But reading this passage this morning in the New Living Translation made me take a closer look. While I'd memorized the passage, it had been some time since I'd focused on the passage.

Let's look at the end of verse 6: "Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

Nothing new here, it is after all important to thank God for all he has done. But it was what came next, verse 7, and how it tied to verse 6 that caught my attention this morning.

Verse 7 starts with, "THEN" ...

Then is an effect word. It denotes causality.

Causality (also referred to as causation) is the relation between an event (the cause) and a second event (the effect), where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first.

IF you (tell God what you need AND thank him for all he has done) - note this is a two part cause; THEN (you will experience God's peace).

Do you want peace in your life? To get peace, you need to tell God what you need (notice the word is NEED, not want) and thank him for all he has done.

Then, and only then, will you experience God's peace.

This isn't just any peace. This is "[peace] which exceeds anything we can understand."

I don't know about you, but I so often fall short in this category. I find my prayer time is telling God what I want, what I believe I need.

It is rarely telling him what I actually need (food, clothing, shelter, boldness in my faith).

And even more rare are the times I sit and thank him for everything he has done.

Sure, I'm grateful. I often utter "thank you Jesus" when something great happens. Especially if I prayed for it to happen.

But if I am honest here, I don't truly ask God daily for what I need and then thank him daily for his provisions.

I have a Twitter friend who frequently reminds people to make their gratitude list each night. I never have.

But I should close each day out thanking God for the things he has done that day.

And I should start each morning asking God for what I need and thanking him for all he has provided already.

Then, and only then, will I be able to daily live into the peace that is beyond anything I can imagine or understand.

Do you want that kind of peace?

Join me today in making sure each day starts and ends with time before God. And then come back here in a week, in a month, in a couple of months and share how you have found new peace!