Bible, Contentment, Peace, Scripture, Sufficiency, Thankfulness

BEING CONTENT

PHILIPPIANS 4:11

“Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

Contentment! Do you struggle with that? So many people cannot be satisfied or content in their situation. They want a newer car or a bigger house. They don’t like the way they look, so they seek out every treatment they can find to make them look “young again.” Contentment is often a fleeting thing for them. Not for Paul. Look what he says today.

He is still thanking the Philippians for their gift but reminds them that he is content in whatever position he is in. Remember, he is in prison (or at least house arrest) in Rome. That’s not a place in which many could find contentment. The word used here for “content” is autarkés only appears here in the New Testament. It comes from autos (himself) and arkeo (content) – self contented. HELPS Word studies says, “it refers to positive self-sufficiency (inward adequacy) – i.e. that comes through the indwelling power of Christ.”

APPLICATION

In 2 Corinthians 9:8 we see the noun form of this word where it is translated “sufficiency.” “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” Also that same noun is found in 1 Timothy 6:6. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (KJV).

Learning to live content can bring such peace. The writer of Hebrews uses the verb form of this word in Hebrews 13:5. “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU,’”

Are you content? Are you at peace with who you are and what you have? If you are struggling with contentment, let me urge you to do a deep dive on the topic of peace or rest. God does not want us to live uncontented lives. He gave us His Son to remove all discontentment, except for the discontentment regarding sin. We should never be content about that. But otherwise, we should live our lives being content with our God and our Savior. Amen?

O Lord, thank You for giving me the sense of contentment that is only found in Christ.

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Bible, Blessing, Compassion, Renewed, Revival, Scripture

RENEWED COMPASSION

PHILIPPIANS 4:10

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked an opportunity to act.”

When I read today’s verse, my mind instantly went to one of my memory passages. Lamentations 3:23-24 says, “22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” That renewed compassion which the Lord has for me is a sweet fragrance. He is constantly reviving His concern for me.

Paul uses a word for “revived” that is only used here in the New Testament. I love what the Topical Lexicon says about this word. It says anathalló “portrays the image of fresh blossoms opening after a dormant season. The term captures the moment when life hidden beneath the surface bursts forth visibly—an apt picture of believers whose love is rekindled into active generosity. Used once in the New Testament, it conveys far more than sentimental warmth; it reveals the God-ordained rhythm of renewed care that accompanies authentic fellowship in the gospel.” Isn’t that beautiful?

APPLICATION

Is there an area of your life that needs reviving? Do you need some “fresh blossoms” in your life? We have this beautiful, yellow rose bush in our yard. We planted it last year when we moved into our house. It has the most fragrant blossoms. Unfortunately, earlier this year it got some kind of fungus and lost most of its leaves. No buds, no blossoms. But after treating it faithfully and tenderly, new leaves are growing and new buds are coming on. I can’t wait to smell those roses again. My life gets that way sometimes, doesn’t yours? We get a spiritual fungus and our growth stops. But God can cure any “fungus” if we come to Him with it. Then He shows His compassion to us fresh every morning.

Paul was referencing the Philippians’ show of love to him once again. They had been so faithful to give to him earlier, but due to distance or circumstances had not been able to send Paul a love gift again. But then Epaphroditus stepped up and volunteered to make the trip to Rome to bring Paul this blessing. Paul received this like fresh rain after a long, dry period. It revived his spirit. Not only that, but it also revived the hearts of the Philippians knowing once again they had blessed their brother.

Maybe the Lord wants to use you as a fresh, fragrant blossom to someone. All it may take is a word of encouragement or maybe a hug. People need to know there are others who are praying for them. When I went through my health crises in 2010 and 2020, knowing others were praying for me got me through. Every time I received a note or a card, it revived me. Be that fragrance today.

Thank You, Lord, for reviving my spirit with Your Spirit each and every day. Let me be used by You to encourage others.

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Bible, Godliness, Imitation, Practice, Scripture, Testimony

ARE YOU PRACTICING THE RIGHT THINGS

PHILIPPIANS 4:9

“As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

The old joke goes, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” You only get good at things that you practice. Athletes perform the same plays over and over again until they know them by heart. Archers will shoot hundreds of arrows to master their aim. Practicing is a good thing, as long as it is beneficial to you and others. Unfortunately, not everyone practices the good.

Paul is reminding the Philippians that they had “learned and received and heard and seen” him do things that pointed to Christ. He tells them to “practice these things.” The Greek word for “practice” is prasso which means a repeated action, not just a one time deed. It is used in Scripture to describe a practice of good or a practice of evil. You see, what you are practicing has spiritual implications. Paul wanted the Philippians to practice the right things.

APPLICATION

In John 3:20, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and right after the well known John 3:16 verse, Jesus is further explaining the difference between good and evil people. He says, “‘For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed.” The word “does” is prasso. They are practicing evil. It wasn’t a one-time thing.

Paul tells the Romans in Romans 2:2-3, “2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God?” Practicing the wrong things has eternal consequences.

What are you practicing – good or evil? Carl, of course I don’t practice evil. Without coming across legalistic, what are your spiritual practices? Do you have a daily Quiet Time with the Lord? Do you pray daily for others? Do you regularly give to support the Lord’s work. None of these things will get you into heaven. But they are evidence that heaven is already in you. You are practicing what you have learned and received and heard and seen” in Christ. Now, get to practice!

Lord, give me the discipline to practice the things I have been taught and make an impact on others.

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Bible, Commendabler, Excellence, Honorablre, Lovely, Pure, Right, Scripture, True

LAUNDRY LIST

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Have you ever heard the term “laundry list”? According to the Meriam-Webster dictionary, this term used to actually refer to a list of items taken to the laundry. I have filled those lists out before when I was traveling overseas. In the hotels there would be a form to complete, listing all your shirts, pants, socks, etc. that you wanted laundered. Now that term usually just means a long list of things.

Take for instance, Paul has listed a “laundry list” of things that we should think about. Take a look at that list. Those are thought worthy items, aren’t they? True, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy! The actual Greek word for “think about” is logizomai which, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is “Middle voice from logos to take an inventory, i.e. Estimate (literally or figuratively) — conclude, (ac-)count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).” I love that – to take an inventory.

APPLICATION

Before I ask you what you are taking into inventory, let’s look at what the Lord does not. In Romans 4:8, the same word is used by Paul as he quotes Psalm 32:2. “‘BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’” The Lord does not keep a laundry list of our sins. Boy, aren’t you glad? I sure am. He would need a long, long scroll to record all of mine. Once we are washed by the blood of the Lamb, all those sins are covered. There is no more guilt. The list is shredded, burned and disappears. Hallelujah!

Now, back to your good laundry list. MacLaren calls these things listed by Paul “that company of fair guests that you may welcome into the hospitalities of your heart and mind.” Unfortunately, the world doesn’t offer too much of these. In fact, the world offers just the opposite – false, dishonorable, wrong, impure, ugly, detestable, poor quality, shameful things. We cannot depend on the world to direct our thoughts and hearts.

The only place you are going to find the things that are described by Paul is in His Word. Only God’s Word will keep my minds and hearts directed in the right way. Only God’s Word will keep you true and pure and honorable. Stop relying on your own intellect or wisdom. Let the Word show you the right laundry list for your soul.

O Lord, I don’t want to be hanging out the wrong laundry list today. Give me these things for my soul.

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Bible, Peace, Promises, Protection, Scripture, Security

ONLY ONE PEACE IS TRULY PEACEFUL

PHILIPPIANS 4:7

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prepositions, punctuation and conjunctions can dramatically change the meaning of statement. For instance, if I said, “Let’s eat, Grandma,” you would all say that’s great. But if I said, “Let’s eat Grandma,” you might call the police. Right? We sometimes pass right over the little words or characters, but we believe that every “jot and tittle” of God’s Word is from His mouth, do we not?

So, when Paul says in today’s verse, “the peace of God,” we need pause and look at what he said. Of the 1327 times theos (God) is used in the New Testament, 698 of those times it is the genitive, theou (of God). That’s pretty significant, don’t you think. The Word of God seems to point a lot to the things that are of God. Paul knew that only the peace which belonged to (that’s what the genitive means) God can give us peace. Only His peace is will.

APPLICATION

But look at the rest of this verse. This peace is not an idle peace. First of all, it “surpasses all comprehension.” It is incomprehensible. We cannot fathom the depths of God’s peace. We cannot understand why He would give it to us. We do not know how it truly works but can feel it working. Am I right?

Jesus said in John 14:27, “‘Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.” Because He said that, Paul can tell us that it “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace is actively guarding our hearts and minds. Isn’t that awesome?

Our hearts and our minds are guarded by God’s peace. How does He do that? By drawing us close to us. James 4:8 tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” What a promise! And if God is near, our hearts and minds are guarded. His Spirit in us works with God’s peace to comfort and protect us. What a marvelous God we have. Amen?

Lord, thank You for Your peace in my life. I could not face a day without it.

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Anxiety, Bible, Emotions, Healing, Scripture, Struggles, Trust

ANXIETY

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Anxiety can wreck your life. It’s defined as “a common emotion characterized by feelings of fear, worry, unease, and apprehension.” At Drugs.com you can find a list of 53 anxiety medications to compare. And then there are all the “natural” remedies out there. Anxiety is a very profitable disorder, one which the drug companies aren’t too concerned about healing. This common problem is a true gold mine for drug companies.

It’s too bad for them that the Bible has the cure for this. It’s found in today’s verse. Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything,…” The literal Greek reads, “Nothing be anxious about.” The word for “nothing” means absolutely nothing. My late brother-in-law, Wayne Barber, said this word meant a zero with the lid kicked off. In other words, let nothing bring you anxiety. And this is written as a command in the Present Tense. Continue all the time not being anxious.

APPLICATION

Oh, but Carl, you don’t know my life. I have every reason to be anxious. True, I don’t know your life, but I know the One who does. And He says through Paul to not be anxious about anything. For us to do otherwise is to disobey the Lord. In the previous verse, Paul had just told them, “The Lord is near.” If that is true, and I think we all believe He is, then we can get rid of our anxiety.

In 1 Peter 5:7 we read this, “having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.” Do you believe He cares for you? Then give Him your anxious thoughts. Give Him all those things that keep you up at night and rob you of sleep. Do you need another reminder of His care for you? Read Luke 12:22-32. That’s the passage where Jesus told his disciples not to worry (same word as used in today’s verse for anxious) about what they would eat or what they would wear.

Paul goes on in the verse to tell us to pray about everything. That word means each and every thing, every single part. Nothing is left out. Well, I think that about covers it all, right? If we are praying to the Creator of the universe, why should we worry about a thing? Let’s be honest. We can all get anxious from time to time. But let’s covenant together to give all that to Jesus. He can handle it.

I will lay my anxious thoughts at Your feet today, O Lord.

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Bible, Christ, Comfort, Near, Return, Scripture

THE LORD IS NEAR

PHILIPPIANS 4:5

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.”

We all use comforting and encouraging words from time to time. We say things like “You’ve got this” or “I believe in you.” These kinds of sayings can lift a person in despair and help someone who is struggling with a particular trial. We may even tell a loved one “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” I’ve said that and have been told that.

Paul uses a phrase at the end of this verse that seemingly was a common, comforting saying among the early believers. He says, “The Lord is near.” Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers describes this phrase like this, “A translation of the Syriac ‘Maran-atha’ of 1Corinthians 16:22—obviously a Christian watchword, probably referring to the Second Advent as near at hand; although, of course, not excluding the larger idea of that presence of Christ in His Church of which that Second Advent is the consummation.” Whether Paul was referring to the Second Coming of Christ being near or that Christ through the Holy Spirit was near to them at all times, Paul’s greeting in this phrase was meant to encourage.

APPLICATION

In Romans 10:8, Paul quotes from the book of Deuteronomy when he writes, “But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,…” Paul knew that these Roman believers needed to be reminded that Christ, through the Word, was near. That’s the idea also in today’s verse. Christ is near.

But how about the other possibility of that phrase’s usage, that the Second Coming was near. Many in the early church thought Christ’s return was imminent. Many believe that today. It seems everything is ready for His return, but the exact day and hour only the Father knows. I believe Paul stook to his script. He wanted these Philippian believers to live each day as if it could be the day of Christ’s return.

The same holds true for us today, beloved. One – Christ is near and dear to us daily through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the edification and instruction of His written Word. But we should also live today as if it could be the day of His return. Behold, the Lord is near. Maranantha!

Thank You, Lord, for being near to me each and every day. I look expectantly for Your return.

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Attitude, Bible, Decisions, Rejoicing, Scripture, Testimony

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT

PHILIPPIANS 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Have you ever noticed the directions on a shampoo bottle? Most of them say, “Wash hair, rinse and repeat.” Now, come on. Admit it. How many times do you do that? Not me! I wash and rinse once. If I have an unusually sweaty time outside, I may do the repeat, but rarely. I bet I would have better looking hair if I followed the instructions. But this may just be a sales ploy to get me to use more shampoo. Lol

Paul must have wanted these Philippian believers to revel in their joy, to repeat it over and over again. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance refers to a “oscillatory repetition.” What is that? I used to have my grandma’s old oscillating fan. It would swing back and forth to cover the room. I loved that old fan. It would blow and blow and blow, never seeming to tire. That’s the idea Paul is portraying here. We should rejoice, rejoice and rejoice. The two uses of “rejoice” are commands that we are to repeat over and over again.

APPPLICATION

So, I was thinking. What keeps us from doing this? I believe it is no coincidence that Paul couches this statement right between verses dealing with disharmony (verses 2-3) and verses 6-7 that deal with anxiety. Disharmony and anxiety can kill our desire to rejoice. Jesus tells us to rejoice, even in the midst of persecution. In Luke 6:23 He says, “‘Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.’”

There is never a reason to not rejoice. We have to have that attitude at all times. Knowing that, we can follow this command from Paul. Rejoice in the bad times. Rejoice in the good times. Rejoice always. I am not saying this is easy, but it is a decision we make. We choose to rejoice rather than complain. We rejoice instead of getting revenge. We rejoice when everything seems to be going against us.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:10, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing…” Make up your mind today to rejoice, no matter what. You’ve heard it said, “Turn that frown upside down.” There’s a lot of truth in that little statement. After all, they say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile. Why overwork?

Lord, give me a spirit of rejoicing today.

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Aid, Bible, Conflict, Fellow worker, Helping, Scripture

HELP EACH OTHER

PHILIPPIANS 4:3

“Indeed, true companion, I ask you also, help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

I like to help people when I can. Don’t you? If I am able and available, I like to lend a hand. I also like to help people who just need a listening ear. In my ministry, I often have that opportunity. Men need to talk but are usually afraid to get too personal too quick. I understand that, but I am called to listen and point them to the Word. I have to be honest, though. I haven’t always done that with my own family. Don’t point your finger at me. I bet you could say the same thing.

Paul loved these two women mentioned in verse 2, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul said they had “shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel.” They were fellow servants. Paul obviously wanted them to come to the same mind about some issue they were arguing about. He knew their squabble could infect the whole church. It must have been pretty serious to have reached Paul’s ears in Rome. So, he calls on the church to come alongside them to end this.

APPLICATION

My Pastor has been preaching a series on relationships the past several weeks. You can listen to these at https://www.youtube.com/@CorrytonChurch. The past couple of sermons have been about dealing with conflict. I wish Euodia and Syntyche had heard ths message. It was pretty powerful. Matthew 18:15-19 gives us some good advice on dealing with conflict within the body of Christ. Don’t you wish every believer would practice these words of Christ?

I was reminded of a verse I had not heard in a while in my pastor’s sermon. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Isn’t that just the truth? I love to walk. When I walk with someone, we have to agree on the path we are taking, the speed to walk and how far we are going to walk. If we don’t do that, we are not going to be walking together. The same is true in our Christian walk with fellow believers.

The Greek word Paul uses for “help” is an interesting word. It can mean to clasp, seize, to conceive, help or take. That’s a pretty broad definition, isn’t it. It’s the strong compound word, sullambanó. The first part of that compound is sun, which is that inseparable “with.” In other words, we are to help closely. Try that today. Be that kind of friend. Perhaps you will need that yourself one day.

O Lord, help me help others today in way that can spur them on their walk with Christ.

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Bible, Harmony, Mind, Scripture, Unity, Witness

LIVE IN HARMONY

PHILIPPIANS 4:2

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”

The current riots in Los Angeles reminds me of the 1992 riots that took place after police officers accused of assaulting a man named Rodney King were acquitted of the charges. The city erupted in chaos and violence and wanted vengeance on those officers. Disharmony has gone on for a long time. It’s no wonder we see this mentioned in today’s verse.

Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, were obviously not getting along well. Can you imagine how they might have felt when they heard their names read aloud in church when this letter was shared? Paul must have known them well or he would not have called them out for their behavior. He wasn’t trying to humiliate them. He only wanted them to live in such a manner that others in the community would see Christ in them.

APPLICATION

So, what exactly did Paul mean when he said, “to live in harmony in the Lord”? Let’s look at what Albert Barnes said about these two ladies. “It has been commonly supposed that they were deaconesses, who preached the gospel to those of their own sex; but there is no certain evidence of this. All that is known is, that there was some disagreement between them, and the apostle entreats them to be reconciled to each other… Whether the difference related to doctrine, or to something else, we cannot determine from this phrase. The language is such as would properly relate to any difference.”

The key to this reconciliation is in the last three words – “in the Lord.” We can reconcile with people all day long, but unless it is in view of the Lord’s teachings, it will not last. Undoubtedly, these were two professing followers of Christ. Because of that fact, Paul tells them to reconcile. Actually, the Greek reads “be of the same mind.” Work things out. Get your stuff together.

Who are you at odds with today? We can all probably name one or two people with whom we have fallen out for one reason or the other. Paul’s instructions to these ladies applies to us as well. I am not saying to try to make it work with someone who is toxic and hurtful to you. But, if at all possible, be at peace with everyone, especially other believers.

Lord, it’s hard sometimes to be of the same mind with others. Give me Your view of them so I can show grace where needed.

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