Purity

What is your first thought when you think of something pure? Pure is an adjective that means not mixed or blended with any other substance or material. It also describes things that are clean, free from sin or moral fault, absolute and complete. We will find very few things in this world that are pure. As humans we are imperfect. Because of this true peace will never come by looking for purity in an impure world. Our search for something pure in this world is futile. It’s a search that leads to frustration and anxiety. One of the things that apostle Paul tells us to think about during our anxious times are things that are pure (Philippians 4:8). Where do we turn to find purity in an imperfect world?

Hebrews 7:26 tells us, “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” While it is hard to find purity in our society, purity can be found in Jesus. The high priest that meets our needs the writer of Hebrews is talking about is Jesus. He is pure. I believe all the things Paul lists in Philippians 4:8 point to Jesus. When we find nothing pure in this world we need to look no further than Jesus. Jesus has no sin. He is perfect, holy and pure. So in our search for purity, we don’t look around us, we look up at the one who is exalted above the heavens. In Jesus we find what we are looking for. When we think about Jesus we have the opportunity to focus on purity and not the things that cause our anxiety. The impure things of this world are partly responsible for our anxiety, so how can we reduce our anxiety by focusing on what contributes to it? We can’t!

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 to “not be anxious about anything, and pray about everything.” Prayer is simply having a conversation with God. However, we must remember that a conversation involves times of speaking, and a time for listening. In prayer we give God time to respond. Jesus is the source of reduced anxiety. Yes, we can take medication, we can meditate, we can do breathing exercise. These all help reduce our anxiety. However, when our focus is Jesus, our focus is on someone pure. There are many reasons for anxiety ranging from biological to environmental. No matter the cause we can still reduce our anxiety by turning to Jesus. When anxiety strikes, focus on Jesus, not just for today, but every day, and see if it reduces your anxiety. When we can find nothing pure around us, we can turn to a pure Jesus.