“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”- Philippians 4:6
Today Timothy Keller discusses the second discipline in which to engage learning “the peace of God”, as presented in Chapter 15 of Walking with God through Pain and Suffering.
2. The discipline of thanking. Pastor Keller notes that in Philippians 4:6 St. Paul is saying that we need to thank God as we ask, before we know His response to our requests. Pastor Keller explains that Paul is telling us that as we make our heartfelt request, we’ll only experience contentment if we also acknowledge that our lives are in God’s hands and that He is wiser than we are. The author states:
“Only God has that eternal perspective and vantage point from which he can see all things working together for our good and for his glory . . .”
Not only are we to trust God because He is sovereign, but we are also to thank Him for whatever He sends us, even if we don’t understand it.
Pastor Keller concludes with something he’d previously stated, that God gives us what we would have asked for if we know everything God knows. To the degree we believe that, we will have peace.
Today’s question: Following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, for what things have you been able to give thanks to God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The discipline of reordering our loves”
