• First, Paul admonishes the Philippian Believers to present their requests to God. In return, the Lord would cover them with a peace that would keep them from having emotional and mental breakdowns.

Since the Lord directed my husband and I to begin our ministry, I have become very familiar with heartache. I have found that there is a big difference between Kingdom living and the practices and attitudes of the institutional church. And what became very clear to me is that Jesus was crucified for trying to teach Kingdom principles to church people! When the Word of God is lifted amongst those who would rather not practice its principles, this includes church-goers too, the messenger of the Word can expect to be attacked. Such attacks are painful to the Believer who has the qualities of the Lamb of God. Just let me tell you, I have been lied on, lied to, used, misunderstood, ostracized, and the like, while teaching God?s Word. But what hurt the most is that it was those persons who claimed to be my brothers and sisters in the Gospel who did these things! During these last three years, I have had to depend on the LORD for strength to get out of bed on many occasions. Continual attacks can be quite exhausting. So, when Paul admonishes the Believers in Philippi to talk to God about their situations, I understand that he was teaching them the importance of placing the burdens of life on the only One who could truly bear them.

• Then, Paul admonishes the Philippian Believers to change the focus of their thoughts.

Instead of dwelling on the negative, recognize the positive aspects of every situation. How easy is that? In other words, Paul told them to take on the mind of Christ, and identify the reasons for praising the Father. Jesus suffered greatly, but He never failed to glorify His Father. Now, when I think about those who mistreated me, the first thing that I do is thank God that He removed them from my company. (I don?t think that this is what Paul had in mind, but it is a beginning.) Then, I bless Him for allowing me to suffer as His Son did. Suffering for righteousness sake is always honorable. I have also extended this practice to my family life. When my teenage daughter tries my patience, I no longer let it frustrate me, but I thank God that she has the ability to think for herself and make choices?whether good or bad. Many children are not able to do either. So, though her thoughts are not my thoughts and her ways are not my ways, I thank God that she is able to think for herself. This practice also works in my career. On many mornings, I have dreaded the fact that I had to go to work. But now, I think on positive things. I thank God that I have the ability and the means to provide for my family. I thank God that He has entrusted me with the opportunity to share His love with my coworkers?especially the wicked ones who lie on me.

Today, why don?t you practice what Paul instructed the Philippians to do. It really works. I am a witness that when I change my focus and look for reasons to praise God, anxiety seems to melt away. If you are like me, you are tired of people giving quick fixes to deep-rooted problems. But trust me, this is really working in my life. As soon as a complaint crosses my mind, I flip it around and make it an opportunity to give praise. You will be surprised at how many blessings God has secretly tucked away in your every day life.