There are all sorts of things
people can legally prevent us from doing. Some of them make sense and others
not so much. For example, did you know that in Georgia it is illegal to do any
of the following: (1) use profanity in front of a dead body which lies in a
funeral home or a coroner’s office, (2) keep a donkey in a bathtub, and (3)
carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket on Sunday? In Clarke County, GA,
goldfish may not be given away to entice someone to enter a game of BINGO. In
New Jersey it is illegal to slurp your soup (I kind of agree with that one). In
Greene County, NY, it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backwards on the
sidewalk. There are all kinds of things
that we may be lawfully prevented from doing, but there are some things that no
one can stop us from doing and all of us should do.
1. No One can prevent
us from having a good attitude. “Rejoice
in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to
all men. The Lord is at hand”
(vv.4-5). While their crotchety uncle was sleeping on the sofa, his niece and
nephew sprinkled limburger cheese in his mustache. When he woke up he
exclaimed, “The whole world stinks!” Sometimes our attitude can lose altitude.
It’s not that the whole world stinks; it’s just my attitude that needs
adjusting. Our witness can be enhanced to the watching world just by obeying
verse Five here: be known for your graciousness, not for your harshness.
2. No one can prevent
us from praying. “Be
anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus” (vv.6-7). Our health may hinder us
from some things, but no one can stop a determined person from praying.
Remember Daniel? He was told that he couldn’t pray, but all he did was open his
window toward Jerusalem and obey God rather than men. James wrote, “The
effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with
a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did
not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and
the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:16-18). Prayer
is the antidote for worry. Prayer expresses the truth about the situation: we
are totally dependent on God!
3. No one can prevent
us from thinking about Godly, wholesome things. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever
things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy--meditate on these things” (v.8). We get to choose what we think about.
Martin Luther said, “I can’t prevent the birds from flying over my head but I
can prevent them from building nests in my hair.” That’s really easy for hair
challenged people like me, but controlling our thoughts is significantly
harder. Yet our prayer should be like the Psalm writer’s prayer: “Let the words
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,
my strength and my redeemer” (19:14).
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit
of the Spirit is in all love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW.” When we
set our hearts on honoring Christ, there is no law that can prevent it!
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