Philippians 4:5 "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."
I know the folks at Grace Church are probably tired of hearing me say this, but
in my old age, I am finally appreciating the meaning of words. This word,
moderation, could mean different things to different people. We are told to eat
in moderation; that is, do not eat too much, but eat enough to satisfy and
provide the proper nutrients to the body. Moderates are those people who do not
seek the extremes in life. We do not necessarily want to be at the top of the
list, but we do not want to be at the bottom of the list either. We want to be
somewhere in the middle of the scale. Moderation may mean something else
to you, besides these meanings.
It is important to have a good Bible Dictionary when studying the Word of God
so that we do not jump to conclusions as to the particular meaning of a
word. In this particular passage of Scripture, the word moderation
carries the meaning of patience. Ahh, that's quite a different subject, isn't
it? We are not born with patience. Ask a three month old baby to be patient
while his milk is being warmed at 3:00 in the morning. Remember as a
child how that Christmas seemed like it would never arrive? Does the
aroma of a fresh baked cake secure a sense of patience within you when you know
you have to wait before cutting into it? This is why Paul said, "LET your
moderation be known."
The root meaning of this word indicates the fact that we must superimpose this
face of patience over our natural tendencies. Sometimes patience even must be
forced to cover the inner frustrations and impatience with which we must deal.
Remember Paul is in prison. The Church is praying for his release. He has
already stated that whatever is the Lord's will is fine with him. Now he states
to the church, when you pray... be patient in waiting for the answer.
How can we be patient in waiting after we have made a request unto the Lord? He
gives us the answer in this same verse: "The Lord is at hand."
What does this mean: The Lord is at hand? If taken literally, it means
that the Lord is always within arm's length of us, and that is exactly the
manner in which we read this verse of Scripture. The Lord is always near unto
us. He is not a far distant God who cannot always hear what we are saying. No,
He is always with us, at hand.
We can be patient when we understand the logistics of God's positioning Himself
within us through His Holy Spirit. If we believe that He truly is God, if we
believe that He is always with us, if we believe that our God is able to do all
things, and if we believe that His grace is sufficient for us - then we can
superimpose our patience over the natural tendencies of impatience and wait
upon the Lord. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)