Phil 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”There are events and situations in our lives that we are happy about. A birthday – although less for lately as the number keeps growing, a marriage, a birth of child, that child getting married, graduation- lots of things that we can get excited and be happy about.
There is a continuum of sorts in most of our lives with happiness at one extreme, and sadness at the other.
When we look at all these unrealized expectations in our lives – perhaps we question if there is any possibility of happiness at all.
Where on the continuum do you prefer to be? Well, I dare say that the majority of us – if not all, would much rather be at the happiness end of the continuum. Although, many of us would settle for somewhere in middle. Where none of us want to live – but all of us sometime are forced to visit – is the sadness end.
Sadness is not, and should not, be avoided by any means. We are sad and grieve because we love, we hope, we dream. The only way not to experience grief is to have no love, no hope no dreams. We struggle with feelings of depression because we want to believe things could have been different. It is in these times and experiences that these words can feel so far off – like a distant foreign land “Rejoice in the Lord Always, and again I say rejoice”.
Rather than seeing our lives as a linear line with happiness at one end and sadness at the other, we need to see our lives as more of a swinging pendulum. The ends are the same, happiness and sadness. What is different, however, is that neither happiness nor sadness is a solitary event on their own. They are held in place by a fixed point. For Paul, that fixed point was Christ. That is where he found the strength, hope and ability to ‘continue to rejoice’. Phil 1:18.
We recall from earlier posts that Paul had been in prison for sometime at the writing of this letter. 24/7 he had guards watching over him.
I do want to be careful of the parallel that we draw. We do need to understand that Paul is in prison precisely because he has boldly declared the gospel. His own release could probably be easily secured if he simply re-canted his faith. However, that said, what is common is loss and the imminent danger of grief and depression that threatens to darken his mind and soul. The physical loss of freedom, of opportunity, of dreams and hope
The accounts of these persecutions are heart breaking – as people lived under the constant threat of exposure, which meant the loss of everything – which could include physical torture. Again, all this could end simply enough with the rejection of Christianity and swearing of allegiance to Rome and Nero.
We know that this is a significant decision of the ‘Will’ that Paul has made that is not based on his earthly condition, but on his heavenly position. Paul has much not to be happy about. He’s imprisoned; he is hearing what is happening to believers throughout the Roman Empire. There are those that are seeing Paul as a rival and seeking to destroy his life’s work. Yet, Paul has chosen to rejoice. What brings him his confidence and ability to rejoice? Is there something we can take from him – which we can hear from him?
19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
What I find significant here is the two pronged source of Paul’s rejoicing. Neither of those sources of rejoicing is a) within his own mind and strength, or b) in the condition in which he finds himself.
a) He knows that there is a community of God, in which he belongs, that is with him. People are petitioning on his behalf in prayer.
b) and the direction work of the Spirit of Christ with him.
We must make a decision of the Will to rejoice – It means that we must override mental, emotional and psychological states. That is possible! In fact, if we don’t it means that we are at the whim of these fickle states. It’s certainly not a denial or avoidance of our present realities – it is a re-assessment of those realities in light of reality of Christ. By no means is this easy. It means, however, that I must reach the point of being able to put ‘self’ to death in His death, and ‘live’ in His resurrection and life. Here’s the tough part – in a real way, there does need to be a death of my dreams, of my hope, of my expectations, of my way. It’s not that we are not to have dreams, hopes or vision for the future. We need to believe the Truth about a number of things.
“I am not my situation” (say it with me)
“I am not my condition” (say it with me)
“I am not my job” “I am not my position – or gender, or age, or economics, my relationship status, condition or heath” (say it with me)
When God sees you, these are not the things that He sees.
You are more – beyond – greater.
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
It is a place that each of us must come to in our journey with Christ . Jesus says it this way “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”.
It doesn’t mean we stop being a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, or IT guy, or HR person, or a finance worker, support worker or a pastoral type. We still fill our role as manager, coordinator, director, VP, CEO – it means that we are to fulfill Christ’s purpose in whatever we do.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
We must consider in each of our roles how ‘Christ is gained through me’ to another. It means my first choice of life is Christ. My first consideration is to consider the purpose of Christ in my life. To live and breathe His mercy, His gentleness, compassion, generosity, His grace and His peace.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Can you boast in Christ on account of me? Can the person sitting beside you, in front, behind – boast in Christ because of you? Can those whom we are called to support, whether other staff or persons supported, boast in Christ because of us. I wonder for my self, can my children boast in Christ because of me as their father, can my wife boast because of how I am in Christ to her? What about my co-workers? I find these thoughts troubling and deeply convicting.
Life Worthy of the Gospel
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whatever happens, whatever happens! We have choice, we have daily and momentary decisions of how it is that we will conduct ourselves – we make these those choices – we create impact – our words our behaviour. Our conduct is external revealing of what we think lies hidden within.
When people see us, or hear about us, is it because of our ‘standing firm in one spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel’. Or do they see and hear something quite different.
Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Neil Cudney
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