How Christians Should Think – Part III

Posted: October 22nd, 2009

Today we continue our series (see Part I and Part II) about how Christians are to think, in particular, how Christians in a home business should think.  We are studying Philippians 4:4-9, where Paul is teaching people how to think.  He is summarizing how to be “of the same mind in the Lord (4:2a)”.  By doing so he gives us some of the keys to what a Christian’s thoughts should be like.  In the first two parts of this series we have seen how the Christian’s thoughts should be joyful, and that they should be gentle.  Today we look at how our thoughts should be prayerful, and how that can be important in our home business.

Philippians 4:6-7 says,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.”

Obviously throughout this verse there are many truths about the thought life of a Christian.  They all go back to the center of these verses – that of prayer.  There are three separate words used, the words ‘prayer’, ‘petition’, and ‘requests’.  They all refer to talking to God about our needs.  The rest of these verses teach us the benefits that come from living a life filled with prayer.

First of all, prayer can prevent anxiousness and stress in our businesses. Paul comes right out and says it clearly, “do not be anxious about anything”, but he doesn’t stop there, he tells us how we can avoid being anxious, “but in everything, by prayer and petition,…… present your requests to God (v.6).” The Christian life is not meant to be filled with anxiousness and stress, rather it is to be characterized by peace.  The key to doing that comes in prayer.  We are to continually be presenting our requests and concerns to God.  By doing so, we eliminate the need to be anxious.  The responsibility is off of what we can do for ourselves and onto our Holy and Loving God who provides for us.

This is especially important for those of us in business.  Being in self-employed is something that has the tendency to create extra anxiety.  The added anxiety comes because we are in full control of our own income and our own schedules. We do not have a boss who takes care of our paycheck, rather we need to go out and grow our business and make the necessary sales to create our income.  If we do not get the results we hope for, we may have to survive on a smaller income.  The anxiety is usually furthered because, in most home businesses we spend a lot of time dealing with people; people who we cannot control.  Too often the people we are relying on for something do not come through.   They don’t do what they say they are going to do, or at least not when they say they are going to do it.

It is during these times that the Christian in business must take extra time to be in prayer. When feelings of anxiety start to come up, it is a clear calling to prayer.  Prayer is simply talking to God.  We can talk to God about how we feel, what concerns us, and what we would like to see happen in our business.   Make your relationship with God an important part of your business on a daily basis.

Later in this chapter Paul brings special notice to how we should be at peace during times when finances are a concern,

“I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or living in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength (v.11b-13).”

Paul’s source for strength during times of financial stress is clear – it is Christ – the one who is giving him strength.  This strength from God is the natural outcome from spending time in prayer and petition.

The second focus of our prayers is that they are to express thanksgiving. By expressing our thanks to God it helps us to keep the proper perspective.  It reminds us first of all that everything we already have and everything we will have in the future is a gift from God.  It is not anything that we deserve or have earned for ourselves – it is completely a gift from God.  By being thankful it forces us to focus on what we have rather than what he doesn’t have.  In his book, Victory Over The Darkness, Neil Anderson writes,

“As long as you are focusing on what you don’t have, you’ll be unhappy.  But when you appreciate what you already have, you’ll be happy all your life.”

By being thankful about what you do have, you will not be anxious about the future, you will not be worried about what you do not have.

Keeping this proper attitude of thankfulness is key while building a home business. The importance for us comes out of the fact that we are in an industry focused on setting and achieving goals.  When we are focused completely on the future it can provide more stress and take away from our thankfulness.  On top of that, if we have a goal that we don’t meet it can lead to discouragement because we focus on what we don’t have rather than being thankful for what we already do have.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a strong believer in goal setting and having a vision of the future you want to achieve, yet at the same time some balance is required.  You cannot be focused on your ideal future so much that you do not remain thankful for what you have right now.  What works best is when you can have goals for the future, have ideals you are striving towards, but are also very content and thankful for everything you already have.  When you are setting goals for the future take the time to also thank God for everything he has already provided for you in the past and everything you have today.  Yes, strive to be the best you can be and achieve the most for your future, but do it knowing that anything that comes in the future comes from God. And while doing so, always be thankful for everything you already have, for it too is a gracious gift from God.

And finally, these verses end by giving us a promise that comes from maintaining prayerful thoughts.  By having a mind filled with prayer, one free from anxiety and focused on thanksgiving, we will be given a special peace – the peace of God:

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (v.7).”

This is a promise for a peace that we cannot understand. a peace that will protect our hearts and mind.

The key battle here is for the minds of believers. Will our minds be focused on what we don’t have and on things that make us worried or anxious?  Or will our minds be prayerful and filled with thanksgiving?  The first leads to stress and destruction, the second leads to the peace of God.  Choose prayer and thanksgiving.

Written by:
Danny Gamache

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