Joy and Hope

 

It was Sunday’s reading of St. Paul to the Philippians that got me.

 He wrote a letter while sitting in a dark dungeon awaiting his beheading. And yet, peace surrounded him and he was able to write a beautiful letter that described the peace he was praying for.

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Peace, how could St. Paul have peace at a time like that? Yet, because he had come to know not only God’s will, but His peace he was able to help his spiritual children before he would leave this earth. 

St. Paul did not have an easy time coming to that peace.  He was arresting Christians left and right, doing what he thought was the right thing.

But sometimes, doing what WE think is the right thing isn’t always what God wants us to do.

So God called Paul, and rather struck him down to get his attention and Paul finally listened.  He stopped being angry at Christians and realized God was calling him to be a follower of Christ.

This eventually led Paul to a spirit of Joy and Hope from which he was able to preach to his fellow Christians about God’s peace.

Sometimes, even when we think we are thinking the ‘right’ way or doing the ‘right’ thing, God insists we look at it in a different way.  This may make us uneasy and uncomfortable, but by listening to God instead of our own prejudices and ideas, by maintain an attitude of Joy and Hope we can let in God’s peace about everything going on in our lives. We can let go of the fear that is constantly overwhelming us.  We can have ‘no anxiety at all, but in everything make our requests known to God. And His peace will reside within us.