OVER COMING ANXIETY THROUGH SPIRITUALITY #4: Moving In The Peace Of God Toward The God of Peace

Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally...whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable:  If the thoughts you have are something about which you can praise God...focus the locus of your focus on these beliefs, opinions, assumptions (Thoughts.) 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
 
Okay... let's complete this series where God's Word gives us tools for overcoming anxiety and even more.  First we know Jesus got anxious, and we know he used these very spiritual tools to cope and overcome at least one extreme anxiety provoking panic attack.  So feeling anxious is NOT a sin.
 
We then talked about praying, petitioning and praising, which results in God placing a guard  of peace around our hearts so as to guard our hearts from being anxious... Or "The peace of God that transcends anything you can understand will guard your hearts in Christ Jesus;" therefore the results of all this is we find a unique and or unusual peace protecting us from the anxiety we face. It is called "The Peace of God" that transcends our ability to understand or comprehend this peace. So we may not understand it, but we benefit from it by faith.
 
Now God flip flops this a bit and puts the rest of this in our area of responsibility:  He instructs us to focus our thoughts on a specific way of thinking.  Why?  I am glad you asked.  In old/ancient computer lingo "Garbage In Garbage Out."  Some use to shorten this by calling this "GIGO."  Put substandard information in the data base of the computer, you will get really skewed results. Paul says this a bit different in 2 Corinthians 10:5 "Bring every thought captive."
 
Elsewhere in The Holy Bible we hear this ancient wisdom: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."  Proverbs 23:7 KJV.  In other words, if you fill up your thought life with "garbage" you will get "garbage" out or "G.I.G.O." Focus on what you don't have rather than that with which you are blessed, and you thoughts will lead you to darkness and depression... a feeling of alienation from God. Focus on horror flicks, porn, violent video games and a bunch of "stuff" that gives you an adrenaline rush, and you risk becoming and adrenaline junkie...  addicted to needing something disruptive or dysfunctional happening in your life daily. Why?  Because the dysfunctional/disruptive and scary will help you get your adrenaline "fix."  Your emotional life will also stink.  You will more than likely experience more painful emotions than non painful, and you will do so on a regular basis.
 
So, why not take the advice of this ancient wisdom writer whom many call Paul... formerly Saul.  He clearly changed his thinking, with God's help.  And he brought his thoughts captive daily.  What is that advice again?  It is simply to focus the locus of your thoughts. Focus (not on garbage) but on "whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable:  If the thoughts you have are something about which you can praise God...focus the locus of your focus on these beliefs, opinions, assumptions (Thoughts.)" Then he says practice doing this and follow his example in doing so.
 
HMMMM?  Practicing thinking the truth that sets you free...  practicing noble thinking...practicing admirable stuff that is pure, right and something about which you can praise God...Hmmmm?  I wonder what would be the outcome???  Guess what, this wisdom writer spells it out for you so that there is NO misunderstanding:
 
First, you get the peace of God, but then when you focus your thinking like this the God of peace fellowships with you. You also experience the GOD OF peace: WOW!  WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!!
 
Why Not Give This Wisdom A Try?
Why Not Try Living So As To Experience The Peace Of God?
Why Not Try Living So As To Experience The God Of Peace?
 
One Thing I Know...
Put These Things Into Practice...Practice... Practice
And
You WILL Be Blessed 2day...
Especially 2day
 
 
SoJourner

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