Philippians 4 Thankfulness

When we think of thankfulness, we often – and understandably – first consider all the good in our lives. We think of the obvious positives: our family, a home, food on the table, work, successes. The list could go on.

But when we take a look at God’s Word, it’s clear that God is calling us to something deeper than this. He invites us to a life of thankfulness that is rooted in knowing who He is rather than in the current state of our circumstances.

In Philippians chapter 4, Paul entreats us to this end:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.” (4:6-7, emphasis mine)

Now, often times we stop there, seeing this as the conclusion of Paul’s statement. We memorize the next verse as a separate scripture even though it is a continuation of Paul’s original thought above.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the peace of God will be with you.” (4:8-9)

Once again, it would be easy to stop here and study these scriptures in a silo, but Paul continues on a little later in the chapter.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (4:11-13)

So, what can we conclude from all these scriptures? Paul was sharing a cohesive thought in these words to the Philippians, and they are applicable to us today. They don’t just make for encouraging verse memorization, they exhort us to live a godly life, one that is full of thankfulness, and from that thankfulness, we find peace.

Let's break it down into four steps based on Philippians 4.

1. Go to God in our need

We see a reminder of our need for God both at the beginning and conclusion of this set of scripture. Paul implores us first to present our requests to God. Then he reminds us that we can be content in all circumstances not out of our own strength but through the strength of God alone. It all begins and ends with us understanding our utter need for Him.

2. Set our minds on things above

Verses 8-9 focus on encouraging us to set our minds on good and godly things. We see a similar sentiment from Paul in Colossians 3:2 where he says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Why does Paul tell us this? It’s not out of law or religiousness. Instead, it is because he knows the good fruit that comes when we set our sites on Christ. It is only when our hearts and minds are on things above that we can be effective in the faith.

3. Practice gratitude and contentment in all circumstances

We also see a repetition of the phrase “in every situation” at both the beginning and ending of this set of verses. Our faith, hope, and gratitude are not circumstantial because our God is so much greater and far above worldly circumstances. Though our circumstances will change and we will face seasons of plenty and seasons of need, our God remains the same. Jesus Himself worded it this way: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our gratitude is based not on the passing things of this world but rather in a good God that never ever changes.

4. Rest in the reward of peace

In all these things, Paul encourages us that we will find God’s peace that passes understanding. When we look to God in our need, set our minds on things above, and find gratitude and contentment in Him, we will find ourselves resting in God’s perfect peace. Our reward will not be perfect on this side of Heaven, but God does meet us here and offer us the peace of His presence in our lives as we look to an lean on Him.

A Deeper thankfulness

When we begin to bring all this together, it draws us into a new and deeper level of thankfulness than just thanking God for the obvious good. Even as we thank God for our blessings, we even more so thank Him for who He is.

In seasons of blessing, we thank God not because our circumstances are good but because He is good and is the giver of all good things (James 1:17).

In seasons of trouble and hardship, we thank God for being good even still. We look to Him to work all things together for our good according to His purposes. We praise Him for the opportunity to work out our faith in the midst of suffering “because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

So whether we are in a season of blessing and joy and plenty or one of trouble and suffering and need, we can come before our God with genuine thanks in our hearts, as we recognize our need for Him, set our minds on things above, find contentment no matter the circumstances, and rest assured in His supernatural peace.