“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” (Philippians 4:5 NLT)
What is going on?
This past week was a full moon. When there is a full moon people can become…well…weird. Attitudes change. People become cranky. Stress levels go up. There were people this week so stressed out because of something negative going on with them. It affected the way they thought, the way they made decisions and it affected what they did. Their attitudes and emotions changed because of the effect the full moon has on the people of earth.
We tend to focus on the weird and negative stuff going on around us and look forward to when the moon goes out of its “full moon” stage and life returns to “normal” whatever that is. It is a true fact that hospitals and police departments see an increase in activity during a full moon.
Negativity will affect us both physically and spiritually. Spending time with a person with a negative frame of mind can take a toll on us.
On the other hand, positive emotions—particularly Godly confidence—can empower us to live fully, as the Lord intends.
Facing each day with the knowledge that our strength comes from Jesus Christ will drive away doubt and anxiety. Yet many things can interfere with a healthy outlook. For example, we often allow wrong advice and negative attitudes to drain us. Sin, too, will keep our hearts from finding full confidence in God. And sometimes false guilt creeps into our minds and robs us of assurance.
Instead, we can purposefully develop confidence in almighty God by maturing in our faith. Meditating on the Word, drawing near to the Lord in prayer, and choosing to believe Him are all ways to strengthen our relationship with Him. The more our friendship with the heavenly Father deepens, the more unshakeable trust in Him will become.
As Christians, we have every reason to live with assurance—we have the very presence of God living within us. But in addition, we also have God’s peace, God’s power, and God’s provision.
We have to remind ourselves that the Apostle Paul was not writing this letter from his vacation in Disneyland. And if anyone had a reason to be bitter and pessimistic, it was Paul. But instead of giving into a negative attitude, he counters it with a powerful antidote: Gentleness. “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
It is vitally important that we do not allow the pressures of this life to harden our hearts. Sounds pretty hard to do wouldn’t you say? How do we do it? How do we prevent the negative attitudes, problems and pressures of this life from hardening our hearts? I think the secret is found in Philippians 4:5. “Jesus is coming soon.”
There are those who fear this. But we should rejoice that Jesus will come back for His bride, the church. We know He will because He said He will. Until He comes we are to reflect His character and actions for the glory of God.
Our world is full of distrust, fear, and uncertainty. With God’s help we cannot allow ourselves to pay attention to negative messages, which can make us lose the confidence God gives His children. Instead, focus on the truth in Scripture and the glory and victory of Jesus.
Let His perfect love cast out our fear. “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:18 NLT)
Paul said, “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” But don’t forget the rest of this verse which states “the Lord is coming soon.” He is near in the sense that He is very close to returning again to this earth. But he is also near in the sense that He is right here with us today.
We do not need to get wrapped up in the negative things in the world. We should look to Jesus Christ who WILL return. In the meantime, remember to tell people about Jesus and the salvation and victory He won for us at the Cross.
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