CALMNESS

Paul writes: Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything - Philippians 4:5 NIV.

The Greek word translated here as gentleness (epieikes) describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. It envisions an attitude that is fitting to the occasion, level headed thinking and tempered. The gentle reaction is one of steadiness and fairness. It looks reasonably at the facts of a case. The opposite would be an overreaction or a sense of panic. This gentleness is “evident to all.” Family members will take note. Your friends will sense a difference and your colleagues and co-workers will benefit from it. While others may lose their heads and run away, the gentle person is sober minded and clear thinking. Contagiously calm.

The contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others, “God is in control!” This is the manager who tells the company, “Let’s all do our part; we’ll be fine.” This is the leader who sees the challenge, acknowledges it, and observes, “These are tough times, but we’ll get through them.” This is the parent who gives her child perspective when she becomes discouraged after failing a test.

Where do we find this gentleness or calmness? How can we keep our head and mind when everyone else is losing theirs? We can act with gentleness and calmness if we remember and act according to the second phrase in the text: “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything.”

The Lord is near! You are not alone. You may feel alone. You may think you are alone. But there is never a moment in which you face life without help. God is near. God repeatedly pledges His presence to His children. To Abram, God said: Do not be afraid… I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward - Genesis 15:1. To Hagar, the angel announced: Do not be afraid; God has heard. - Genesis 21:17 NIV. When Isaac was expelled from his land by the Philistines and forced to move from place to place, God appeared to him and reminded him: Do not be afraid, for I am with you - Genesis 26:24 NLT. After Moses’ death God told Joshua: Do not be afraid; do go - Joshua 1:9 NIV. God was with David, in spite of his adultery, with Jacob, in spite of his scheming and with Elijah, in spite of his lack of faith.

Then, in the ultimate declaration of communion, God called Himself Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He became flesh. He became sin. He defeated the grave. He is still with us. In the form of His Spirit, He comforts, teaches, and protects us.

Do not assume God is watching from a distance. Avoid the trap that bears the marker “God has left you!” Do not concentrate on the feelings of abandonment in a difficult situation. If you do, your problem will be amplified by a sense of loneliness. It’s one thing to face a challenge, but to face it all alone? Isolation creates a downward cycle of a state of anxiety or worry. Choose instead to be the person who clutches the presence of God with both hands.

The psalmist confesses in Psalm 118:6 NIV: The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Because the Lord is near, we do not have to be anxious about anything. This is Paul’s point: The Lord is near; consequently, do not be anxious about anything. The early Christian writers emphasised this truth. John Chrysostom liked to phrase the verse this way: “The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety”, Theodoret of Cyrus translated the words: “The Lord is near. Have no worries.”

We can calmly take our concerns to God because He is as near as our next breath!