Using Philippians 4:4-7 and Psalm 23
For Anxiety and Anger
Anxiety and anger often go together.
Philippians 4:4-5 NIV
Commentary
Questions
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Philippians 4:5-7
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:6
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever
Anxiety and anger often go together. We are fearful and uncertain about something and our fear and anxiety work on our emotions in negative ways.
Combining Philippians 4:4-7 and Psalm 32 might be helpful to calm our anxiety and remove our anger.
Philippians 4:4-7 calms our anxiety. The Lord is near to hear and answer our prayers and watch and guard over us.
Psalm 23 reinforces those calming thoughts by picturing the love and the power our God who is always near us as our Good Shepherd.
- How anxious have you been recently? About what have you been anxious?
- How angry have you been recently? What triggers your anger?
- As you examine yourself, how does uncertainty and worry about the past, present, or future been triggering your anger?
- Philippians 4:4-5 reads: “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
- God’s command, encouragement, and invitation is to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” He even repeats the thought. “I will say it again: Rejoice!” Then he give us a promise: “The Lord is near.”
- How does the fact that your God is near to you help you to rejoice in the Lord and show gentleness to all?
Let’s examine that thought some more by looking at Psalm 23 in more detail.
- What two things in verse one of Psalm 23 tell you about God and your relationship to Him?
- Vs. 2 Where is he going to lead you?
- Vs. 3 Where is He going to guide you?
- Vs. 4 How will God help you through your greatest fears?
- Vs. 3 and 4. Notice how the pronouns in verses 3 are almost all “He.” Who is “He?”
- Then in verse 4 the author of Psalm 23, King David, uses the pronoun, “I.” How does what God does in verses 1 through 3 give King David comfort to calm his anxiety and fears?
- How does that comfort you?
- Then at the end of verse 4 and through verse 5, the pronoun is “You.” Who is, “You,” In this verse?
- Then in verse 6 David talks about the comfort and assurance that he has because of God’s love. And kindness for him. Ultimately what is that comfort for King David and for you?
- How does this Philippians passage and Psalm 23 comfort your anxiety so that you don’t have to take out your anxiety on others in the form of anger?
- Now, let’s go back to Philippians. We look at verses 5 through 7.
- How does the fact that “The Lord is near” (Psalm 23) give you the peace to “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Phil. 4:5)?
- What would it look like for you to “Let your gentleness be evident to all?”
- How does the invitation to pray to God because He is always near comfort and calm your anxiety and your anger?
- How might prayer to your God of Love, who is your Good Shepherd, be used by you in your life to intervene and calm your anxiety and anger?
- Philippians 7 is a beautiful promise. How does it compare to the last verse of Psalm 23?
- How do these promises of God in Philippians 4:7 and Psalm 23:6 apply to you?
*From the writings of Rev. Alan Siggelkow.
**Suggested by sermon by Pastor Don Sheuerlein.
The above exercise has greater benefit when working with a Christian therapist, your pastor, or a fellow Christian. Interaction and accountability with another person who can provide understanding and encouragement is reinforced in therapy sessions.
