Citizens of God's Kingdom: The Manner of Life, Part 2

In giving his closing exhortations to the Christians at Philippi, Paul urges them not to give way to anxiety and worry but instead to take all things to prayer. And it's here in Philippians 4:6 that we have the whole paradox of prayer. “Let your requests be made known unto God.” The paradox here is that prayer is making our requests known to God--and yet the Bible makes it clear that God already knows what we need before we go to Him in prayer. Speaking specifically in the context of prayer, Jesus said: “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) When we pray, we are not giving God information. So why does God ask and require that we come to Him in prayer? We may not be able to answer this question, but this verse gives us a hint.

In order to understand it, we need to think of a concrete example. Let us imagine two neighboring farmers, named Bob and Chris. Chris is a Christian and goes to church and prays regularly. Bob on the other hand never really thinks about God at all, one way or another. It has been a hot and dry year and the fields of both men (which are right next to each other) are doing poorly. If they are going to get a crop, they desperately need rain.

One night when things are at their most desperate, Chris (being a Christians) gets down on his knees and prays about his need of rain, beseeching God to send rain. That same night, Bob comments to his wife: “I really wish we had some rain.” Is God aware of the words and desires of both men? Of course.

That night, the wind blows in distant clouds and a gentle but steady rain falls through the night, watering the crops of both men, the rain which falls “on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) So here it the situation. Both Bob and Chris needed rain. God knew the needs of both. And God gave both what they needed. But there is a line of division here.

And that line of division has to do with how each man feels about and perceives the rain. Bob is happy about the rain. He needed rain and he got it. And... that's it. Really nothing more to say. To him, it is just a blank event, without any greater meaning or purpose. It just happened and it just happened to be something good for him. It was just “good luck.”

Chris is also happy about the rain. But there is an added dimension to it. Because he prayed, he knows that this rain is not just good fortune; it is an answer to prayer. It is a gift from God. For that reason, he has something besides happiness--he has thanksgiving, gratitude. Chris can be thankful because he knows that this apparently natural occurrence is actually a gift from God. And that means he has built a relationship with God. The next time something comes up in Chris's life that he needs help with, he'll be able to go to God with thanksgiving, remembering how God answered his prayer before.

And we can think this through a little farther. The next year is another hot, dry year and once again both Bob's and Chris' crops need rain. Once again, Chris prays about it and Bob does not. Only this time, the rain never comes and much of their crop is lost.

How do they feel? Bob is simply upset and unhappy. He needed rain and he didn't get it. It just happened and it just happened to be something bad for him. It was just “bad luck”. But for Chris, it is something different, because he knows God and knows God could have answered the prayer because He answered prayer before--and therefore this disaster is part of God's plan--God allowed it to happen for some reason. Therefore, it is possible for Chris to be thankful, even though his prayer wasn't answered. Because he has a relationship with God and knows that God can answer his prayer.

That is why God commands us to make our requests known unto God with thanksgiving. Because in so doing, we build a relationship with Him. I thought of theorizing at one point what would happen if God simply met all our needs without our praying about them. But we don't need to theorize because we already know what would happen, because God already gives many blessings to people and meets the needs of people who do not believe in Him and therefore do not pray. And by-in-large it does nothing. Usually, people like Bob just go on with life, completely oblivious to what God has done for them. And that is why God does some things only in answer to prayer.

And here is the interesting part. Suppose that during the drought, Bob grew so desperate that he started thinking about Chris. “Chris always prays about his problems.” And so, in his desperation, Bob gets down on his knees and starts praying for rain. And then, suppose, his prayer was answered.

If the rain came at all, it would come because of God for every good and perfect gift comes from above. But because he prayed about it, Bob now realizes that, now recognizes the source of his blessing, and now he is now able to be thankful to God. (One writer remarked that the worst moment for an atheist is when they feel thankful but have no one to thank.) That could be the beginning of a true relationship between Bob and God.

The point is that prayer builds a relationship with God and that allows us to see God's hand in the world. It is like a man walking through a foreign town and seeing all the signs printed in a foreign language which he doesn't understand. The town might be plastered with posters announcing the greatest news of all times, but he would walk through unmoved because he cannot “see” what they say. But if he learned the language (or got access to Google Translate) he could suddenly see and understand the truth which had been there all along. And just like that, God is at work in the world but most people walk through life without seeing it. They just see events without any greater purpose. And obviously, there is no way to prove the truth to them. Chris can never prove that the rain came because of his prayer. But as we come to know God, as we build a relationship with Him, we can come to see his hand in this world, even in the bad things of life. And that is why we do not have to be anxious about anything, but instead in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known unto God.

And the result of having this kind of relationship with God is peace. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (v. 7) The word keep here means to keep watch over or guard. Peace isn't merely a passive feeling or emotion. It is a reality built on the goodness and sovereignty of God and the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. And this reality and our experience of it is a safeguard on our heart and soul. Without this assurance, it would be easy to fall into anxiety or bitterness or outright sin. But when you have peace, it acts as a guard on your heart and soul.

Verse 8 begins with a word which sums up the whole exhortation: “Finally.” If our hearts and minds are guarded by the peace of God then they will be a safe place to treasure the things of God, which is why Paul gives us a list of things here with which to fill our mind, things we are to think about. This may be reading too much into the passage, but there may be a contrast here with verse 6. It is too easy to let our minds be filled with anxiety and concern, but Paul exhorts us to be anxious for nothing--leaving our minds free to think on things which are truly important.

But there is a little more to this word “think.” “Think on these things” doesn't mean “daydream about these things.” Strong defines this word as meaning: “to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively).” Weymouth translates this phrase “cherish the thought of these things.” The idea is, set your minds on these things as something that is important. Don't just think of these things in the sense of letting these things pass through your mind. Fix your mind on them as something important. Consider and count them as something valuable. Thayer says the word in this context means “To consider, take account, weigh, [or] meditate on... a thing, with a view to obtaining it.” (3049) These aren't things we just let pass through our minds, but things we fix our minds on and seek after and consider as valuable.

Notice that Paul uses the phrases “whatsoever” and “if there be any” in relation to these things. Like a treasure hunter who would eagerly grasp up even a few grains of gold and hold tight to them, so you should always be on the lookout for something good, and if you find it, add it to your mental collection, treasure it in your mind. You may already know much that is true, that is just, that is lovely--but always be on the lookout for more truth, more justice, more loveliness. Whatever you can find that is true, you should think on. Matthew Henry says this even applies to learning things from those who are not Christians. A person may be a heathen; they may be a bad person; but if in their life or their words you find something that is true, that is good, that is virtuous, then you should take it and add it to your mind. In just a few verses, Paul will be speaking of being content, but here we should not be content. We can never be content with a certain amount of truth and virtue. Instead, we should search for anything that is true, that is good. That is why this really is the follow-up to Paul's exhortation in Chapter 3 and the idea of always pressing on. No matter how far we have come in the Christian life, we should still be seeking new things to think of, new mental and moral treasures, still taking account of whatsoever things are true. For those things we fix our mind on are what, in the end, define our life.

“Whatsoever things are true.” This one should be self-evident. Obviously, we should set our minds on the things which are true. It should be clear that Paul is speaking of the things that are true in relation to virtue and the Christian life. In general, it always better to know the truth than a lie but there are some truths which have no practical value and other things which are true but which we shouldn't dwell on. (For instance, we shouldn't use this verse as an excuse to meditate on the faults of others, even if they are true.)

In Hebrew thought the idea of “true” goes along with the idea of “dependable” or “solid.” The true things are the things we can put our faith in without fearing that they will give way under us. If we built our lives on lies then in the time of storm it will collapse like the house built on the sand. The more we know and understand the truth about God and the world He made and how we are to live in it, the more truly we will be able to live.

You'll notice the next word is honest and as we'll see in a minute, that's a little misleading in modern English, but I do think the idea of honesty is included in “whatsoever things are true.” Obviously, if we are Christians we shouldn't lie and should speak the truth but there's more than that. Proverbs 12:22 says that “they who deal truly are [the LORD's] delight.” We are not just to avoid lying but to deal truly, to act truly. There are actions which are deceitful; there are practices which are practical lies. To think of whatever is true means not just to seek and treasure the truth but to seek and treasure true means of living, so that we may speak and live the truth.

“Whatsoever things are honest.” The RSV gives this as “honorable,” which was the connotation of the word honest when the KJV was translated. Other translations translate it “worthy of respect” (NET) and “Whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly.” (Amplified) There are three possible interpretations of this. (1) Search for that which you can respect and honor. Don't just let it pass by but make it part of your mind to aspire after it. It's one thing to see something and say: “I really respect that; I look up to so-and-so for doing that”; it's something else to take that honorable thing and make it the object of our thoughts and our goal to live up to. (2) Think on that which is considered honorable and fitting. The gospel is revolutionary but it is not a revolution. The Christians of the first century did not withdraw from the world to live in isolation and neither do we. And so, as much as possible, we should live by the rules of the society in which we live. If something is considered right and respectable in our society, then we should cultivate it, unless it violates our commitment to God. There are some things the world prizes highly that we might think, in the grand scheme of things, aren't that important. For instance, certain matters of basic courtesy, honesty, and legality--the world respects those things even if they don't practice them and if a Christian fails in these areas than the world will notice. (3) Barclay takes the word in a different sense. According to him, it was used in Greek to speak of the temple of a god or to a man who lived as in the presence of a god. We might translate it then as sanctified, in the ceremonial sense, something cleansed and set apart for God. Barclay calls it “that which has the dignity of holiness upon it.”

“Whatsoever things are just.” Justice is important for the world. Life isn't fair and sometimes as Christians, we must willingly bare injustice for the cause of mercy and meekness and moderation, just as Jesus submitted Himself to the injustice of the cross. But still, we must set our minds on the things which are just. Barnes: “The things which are right between man and man. A Christian should be just in all his dealings. His religion does not exempt him from the strict laws which bind men to the exercise of this virtue, and there is no way by which a professor of religion can do more injury, perhaps, than by injustice and dishonesty in his dealings. It is to be remembered, that the men of the world, in estimating a man's character, affix much more importance to the virtues of justice and honesty than they do to regularity in observing the ordinances of religion; and therefore, if a Christian would make an impression on his fellow-men favourable to religion, it is indispensable that he manifest uncorrupted integrity in his dealings.” Barclay says that the word for just means more than simply justice but all kinds of duty. It “is the word of duty faced and duty done. There are those who set their minds on pleasure, comfort and easy ways. The Christian's thoughts are on duty to man and duty to God.”

“Whatsoever things are pure.” Pure means that which is clean and undefiled. The Philippians lived in a world of impurity and corruption, a world in which men worshipped gods who were more impure and corrupt than they were. But even in the midst of such a corrupt world, the Philippians were still to fix their minds on that which was pure. In Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyon pictures a man in white clothes standing in a room while everyone around him tried to throw buckets of dirt on him but his clothes remained perfectly white. We may live in an impure world, but we can remain pure by fixing our mind on whatever things are pure.

“Whatsoever things are lovely.” Some other translations give this “lovable.” (TCNT, WNT) There are many thoughts and attitudes which are ugly, which repel those around them. People who are filled with bitterness or hatred or even discontent are not attractive. Take discontent. It's an interesting fact of life that even people who complain all the time don't like other people who complain all the time, generally speaking. But there are thoughts and actions and attitudes which are beautiful--which spring from love and calls forth love in other--and these are the things as Christians we should fill our minds with.

“Whatsoever things are of good report.” This is one is fairly hard to pin down. The word itself means “fair-speaking” (Barclay) and is used with a variety of shades of meaning by Greek authors. (Thayer) It may mean (1) “well spoken of, i.e. reputable” (Strong, #2163) which is how the King James takes it. This would really just repeat everything we said about whatsoever things are honest. But there may be a little bit more as well. The NET Bible translates it “Commendable.” Something commendable is something you are able to commend to others. Our minds should be fixed on those things which we would commend to others, things worthy of a good report. When it comes to doctrine and practice, is there is something we would be ashamed to own to others and would advise others to avoid, then we should probably consider steering clear of it ourselves. (2) Thayer says here it means “Things spoken in a kindly spirit, with good-will to others.” The RSV translates it “gracious.” Many people fill their minds ill-thoughts to others, meditating on hatred and bitterness. But if the Christian is to show their moderation to all men as Paul advised earlier in the chapter, they should fill their minds with gracious thoughts to others. (3) Barclay takes it in a different sense. He says that in Greek writing this word “was specially connected with the holy silence at the beginning of a sacrifice in the presence of the gods. It might not be going too far to say it describes the things which are fit for God to hear. There are far too many ugly words and false words and impure words in this world. On the lips and in the mind of the Christian there should be only words which are fit for God to hear.”

“If there be any virtue.” The RSV uses the word “excellence.” This is a common word in secular Greek writers. Robertson says it can be used “for any mental excellence or moral quality or physical power.” It was a word frequently used for virtue and moral character. This is the word for the best, the highest, the greatest quality. Christians should not be satisfied with second-bests but always be looking for the best of the best in their moral life. They should set their thoughts on the highest things.

“If there be any praise.” Most commentators take this in the sense that we should put our thoughts on the things that are worthy of praise. There are things that must be whispered in secret and not set out loud because they would bring shame and disgrace to those who said them. But the Christians mind must be set on those things of which they need not be ashamed, those things which are worthy of praise. I can help thinking it might also mean that we should set our minds on those things which bring praise to God, on that which is honoring to God.

And it when we have set our minds on these things, filling our thoughts with all that is true, honorable, justice, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and praiseworthy that we can follow Paul's advice in verse 9: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” If our minds are filled with the right thoughts, our lives can be filled with the right actions. The word translated “do” means 'to “practice”, i.e. Perform repeatedly or habitually... by implication to execute, accomplish.' (Strong, #4238) This wasn't just a checklist of things they needed to do once and move on. These things were to be part of the fabric of their lives (just as the thoughts of verse 8 were to be part of the fabric of their minds). But what were they to do? Everything which they had learned of God, everything they had received from God, everything they had heard of God, and everything they had seen of God through the example of Paul. Basically, they were to get all the light they could from every legitimate source and then they were to walk in it.

And the only way they could that--the only way they could live up to any of the exhortations of this chapter--was because the God of peace would be with them. Paul knew that this might be his last communication with the Philippians, but he was able to rejoice and to end his letter with peace because he knew that both he and them, despite their situations, were safe for they were kept and guarded by the peace of God and by the God of peace.