Mental and Spiritual Well-Being – Philippians 4:4-9.

Our mental and spiritual well being is dependent on our relationship with the Lord. Mark points us to the Apostle Paul’s words to the Philippians.

What Do You Want Out of Life?

Welcome to Part 15 in the series Lessons from Philippians – What Really Matters. I’ll begin by reading Philippians 4:4–9.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4–9 (NLT)

What do you want out of life?

Five Sources of Meaning

According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, the top five sources of meaning for most people are family, career, material well-being, friends and community, and physical and mental health.

But what happens if any of these dependable, tangible factors collapse?

• What if family members reject you?
•  What if you lose your career or become unable to work?
•  What if a global economic collapse negatively impacts all of these areas?
• What if you became physically disabled or mentally unstable from a tragic event?

These things we rely on are fragile—any event could make them fall.

The Apostle Paul in Prison

Consider the Apostle Paul who is writing this epistle in a prison cell; so many of the ambitions he had (as Saul) before the Lord Jesus knocked him off his high horse on the road to Damascus were geared toward his religious career, and success – it was in these things he was finding his life purpose (we looked at this in episode ten Philippians 3:4-9). But the Lord caused Paul to do a 180 degree turn and then all he wanted out of life was Christ.

Take note that mental health ranks number five among the top factors I mentioned that contribute to quality of life. As a growing concern, it’s no surprise that mental well-being is increasingly viewed as a vital advantage. According to Statistics Canada, as of January 3, 2025, half of Canadians will have experienced some level of mental health challenges by the age of 40.

Paul’s Key Principles for Mental and Spiritual Health

While most today wouldn’t consider Paul a therapist, this brief passage highlights several key principles for believers in Jesus to embrace—both in mindset and in daily practice—that can greatly support their mood and mental well-being. These spiritual ‘therapies’ offer relief for the anxieties that many people face.

Always be Full of Joy in the Lord

Having a positive attitude is good, but what is it based upon? Is it “in the Lord?”  Lasting joy is not found in all that’s going on around us; if we are looking to find it in anything other than “in Jesus,” our delight will turn to disappointment.

Often our joy is dependent upon our circumstances, we don’t think of joy as something intentional, but setting our minds upon what is positive, and God glorifying is a much-needed discipline. This is one in at least 18 times in this epistle that joy or rejoicing is mentioned. Take the time to rejoice before God and friends.

Be Considerate In All You Do

Paul states that we should be considerate in all we do.

Think of others. Going back to what Paul said in chapter 2; putting it plainly, “it’s not all about you.” Put yourself in another’s shoes before thinking of yourself.

Selfish thinking is a sure-fire way to feel down and loose a Godly perspective on life.

Remember, The Lord is Coming Soon

In his letter 1 John, the apostle links the anticipation of Christ’s return with the pursuit of a purified and faithful walk. Just as the saying goes, “You are what you eat,” we might also say, “We act as we think.”

When our hearts are anchored in the promise that Christ will return to receive His saints, and in that moment, we will be transformed into His perfect likeness, this expectation reshapes how we face             challenges and engage with others.

Living with the awareness of a greater plan and a glorious future can reduce our daily concerns and lift our eyes heavenward. How much lighter our burdens might feel if heaven truly held center stage in our minds.

Pray and Don’t Worry

Paul reminds us that we shouldn’t worry, but pray about everything instead.

Paul’s instruction is for us to transfer all our worry into prayer; take the negative, anxious thinking that’s bogging you down and convert it to prayer. I’ve heard it said;

“if you can worry, then you can effectively meditate on God’s Word.”

Worry is a form of meditation; faithlessly focusing on unproductive negative thoughts. Imagine how much closer our walk with the Lord would be if we replaced all our “worry time” with “talking with the Lord, time?

Be Thankful

We should tell God that we need Him and thank Him too.

We are often neglectful and distracted from the profound truth that as believers we have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, Creator God! When we approach Him in prayer, do we acknowledge our need of dependence upon Him and express our gratitude for all He is, His love for us, His grace, and all He has done in our lives?

Saying thank-you to anyone who does something for us is so important; how much more is expressing our thanks to God, who provides us ALL things.

It’s hard to be negative when you are thankful; it’s a much-needed therapy; it would do a world of good on our outlook and keep our perspective on the things that really matter. If being thankful to God and others became a daily practice, eventually it would conform to our lifestyle. On average it takes about 66 days for a new habit to become automatic. What a change we would experience in our mood if gratitude became a habit.

Remission From Chronic Worry

According to Paul, what is the sign that we are in remission from chronic worry in our lives?

He points it out in verse 7; peace. And this is not like the peace you may experience sitting by a quiet lake or a calm evening sunset; this a peace that exceeds anything we can understand! A peace that will guard our hearts and our minds, where? “…in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t we all want peace like that in our lives?

In a world full of chaos, and lives full of discontentment, what a welcomed change it would be to have a peace that is not fleeting but permanent and fixed. It’s there and it’s found in Christ Jesus.

Knowing the Peace of God

Do you know the peace of God? Have you confessed your sin, having recognized your offences that cause the distance between you and Him? Out of His love for us, Jesus paid the price for our sin on our behalf, so we can have peace and be reconciled to God.

Your burden of sin he bore on the cross, through the shedding of His blood. By faith in Him you can begin a new life in a wonderful relationship with your Savior.

If “we are what we think,” Paul provides a recipe for “right thinking” – He gives us the mental appetite for; “Fixing our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Does Paul’s pursuit seem rational? How are you following Paul’s example? We would to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.