Philippians 4 ~ Joy!

Don't forget to visit my dear friend Jenilee and her thoughts on Philippians 1!

Philippians 4

Chapter Breakdown (Matthew Henry)

1. The apostle exhorts the Philippians to stand fast in the Lord. (1)

2. Gives directions to some, and to all in general. (2-9)

3. Expresses contentment in every condition of life. (10-19)

4. He concludes with prayer to God the Father, and his usual blessing. (20-23)

The grand finale of Philippians, chapter four! This little tiny chapter continues to be one of my favorite chapters of the Bible simply because I love so many of the verses in them, so much so, that I have blogged about them more than once. Paul is pretty much wrapping up his letter, exhorting the Philippians and blessing them. But, tucked in this conclusion are some pretty powerful verses on how we can live a content life, free of worry and full of JOY!

How many of us worry and feel discontent? If everybody was truly honest we probably struggle with one or both of these problems weekly if not daily on various levels. But here we find some verses that give these problems a 1..2...3...knockout!

1. Don't Worry! (and here too)

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.

2. What To Focus On!

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

3. How To Be Content! (and I wrote about it here too!)

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Do you want peace & joy in your life???? Repeat steps 1, 2, & 3 over and over!

What God Wants To Show Me Today

One verse really stood out to me today! I am impressed by the Church in Philippi. They were a very caring and attentive church. They understood Paul's needs and did their best as fellow co-laborers to help him.

15b......not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.

Wow, this really challenged me! In this chapter, we learn how to not focus on our own problems and give them to the Lord. Why? So we can meet the needs of others. Specifically, here they meet the needs of Paul their leader. Practically speaking, do we know the needs of our pastor? Are we so consumed with our own problems that we don't minister to him or those in real need? Are we missing JOY because we are consumed with worry and discontentment?

I find time and time again that when I get my focus off of myself I find JOY in serving others...hummmmm funny how God works that all out. Matthew Henry had a great statement in his commentary....

"Joy in God is of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. It more than outweighs all causes for sorrow."

Ooooooooo soooooooooooooo GOOD, especially for the holiday season coming in the next few days!