Philippians 4:6-7
Are you enjoying Philippians this week?
One of our BC families has been inspired to memorize Philippians 4:4-9.
Finally, brothers, 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. 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."
What a great passage! That would be a great section of scripture to start your day.
The following are some footnotes regarding this section from Life Application Study Bible, NIV:
Verse 4: It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to rejoice. But Paul's attitude teaches us an important lesson: our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. Several times in this letter, Paul urged the Philippians to be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this. It's easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. If you haven't been joyful lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective.
Verse 4 & 5: Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. Christ is near, and at his second coming we will fully realize this ultimate joy. He who lives within us will fulfill his final purposes for us.
Verse 6 & 7: Imagine never being "anxious about anything"! It seems like an impossibility -- we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul's advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.
Verse 8: What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Do you have problems with impure thoughts and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through television, books, conversations, movies, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, read God's Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done.
Verse 9: It's not enough to hear or read the Word of God, or even to know it well. We must also put it into practice. How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said. How easy it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently. How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God's Word is not enough. It must lead to obedience.
Have a joyful week!
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One of the most important phrases in verse 6 is "with thanksgiving". It brings to mind the account in Corrie Ten Boom's biography, The Hiding Place where she actually gave thanks to God for the LICE AND FLEAS in the dorm at the concentration camp because they kept the guards out. Can you imagine? Can I thank God for a flat tire or any of the other inconveniences that interrupt my schedule? Yes! Mix verse 6 with Romans 5:3-5: we rejoice in our sufferings KNOWING that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because GOD'S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Hallelujah!We cannot grow in Christ on the easy road.
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