A Call to Joy and Peace

Scripture:

Phil. 4:4   Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Observation:

This section is now a shift toward the conclusion of Paul’s letter, however, he wants to leave the people with some very specific instructions. No longer is joy a suggestion, but an imperative. The people are to rejoice, no matter their circumstances. This isn’t about feeling happy from time to time, but this attitude of joy is to be a life practice. As Karl Barth  puts it, “‘Joy’ in Philippians is a defiant ‘Nevertheless!’” (1962, 120; Flemming, NBBC, 290). That’s because Paul knows that Christian joy is not predicated on our circumstances, but on our relationship with the Lord. Only in this way can joy become a deeply abiding and spiritual quality of life. 

The gentleness of the Philippians is an outward reflection of their inner joy. This has to do with response to circumstances. Instead of a spirit of retaliation, one witnesses the gentleness of Christ in reaction because, the Lord is near. In a world where Christians would suffer at the hands of those proclaiming Caesar as Lord, this becomes a beautiful reminder “that the true ‘Lord’ is ‘near’ ” (Fee 1995, 408; Flemming, NBBC, 291).

Paul then gives instructions on prayer, for here is where one finds the antidote to worry. The words he uses here are expansive. “Do not worry about anything.” It seems that we would want to reserve the right to worry about certain things, but the language here is anything. Every need and every circumstance is to be brought to the Lord in prayer. However, Paul reminds the readers of the value of thanksgiving. Before laboring in requests, bring before the Lord thanksgiving. It is in this review of the faithfulness of God in the past, that one can trust in God for the future. R. Rainy puts it well: “The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything” (cited by Michael 1928, 197; Flemming, NBBC, 292). We are prayerful about the past, the present and the future, and in this, we find peace. 

Paul again ties this section together with all the others for, we will find peace when our minds are “in Christ Jesus.” It is the peace of God which we can experience when we are participants in Christ. This is a peace that is beyond our human comprehension, and will guard both our hearts and our minds. “We receive God’s peace in and through the one who ‘is our peace’” (Flemming, NBBC, 294). 

Application:

I’m fascinated by this imperative to rejoice! I think that most of us would imagine that joy comes from our circumstances. When life is going well, then I am filled with joy! However, Paul is telling the Philippians that joy is an intentional practice. He’s telling us that in the midst of a global pandemic where everything seems upside down, we can rejoice. 

The instructions on prayer are very helpful, because they, too, lead to an attitude of joy. First of all, we need to be spending time every single day in prayer. If we are not setting aside time to be plugged-in to the presence of God, then we will not have the resources to be joyful, or to experience God’s peace. Begin by praising and thanking God for the faithful ways you have been sustained in the past. 

“Thank you, Lord, for carrying me through the days of loss.” Today is my mother’s birthday and I grieve her passing, and yet I think joyfully upon the ways in which she helped to shape and form me and my understanding of Christ. I have saved a voicemail from my father so that I can play it and hear him tell me that he loves me and is praying for me. I rejoice that I had parents who loved me and that showed me the way in which to follow them toward Christ. 

“Thank you, Lord, for opportunities to minister.” I am a minister and these have been odd days of quarantine. My entire schedule has been wiped-out. So much of what I normally do is defined by travel and being with people. Now, I gather with people virtually and yet, there have been wonderful new ways in which to minister. I’ve gotten to spend time with all the District Superintendents that I work with via Zoom. I have spent more time with them in this way than I would have normally. This includes those who are outside the USA and Canada. I have had the opportunity to preach virtually, but a couple of weeks ago, I got to go out and preach again in person. We are a people who are made to fellowship and there is great synergy when we can safely be together as God’s people. 

“Thank you, Lord, for time with family.” During this season of quarantine I have spent a great deal of time at home with my husband, and our daughter Cara and her family. We all live in one house together. Our youngest grandchild, Halston, was born in December. I’ve never been around enough to watch a little grandchild develop as much as I’ve gotten to be with Halston. We call him our “quarantine baby” because his world of relationships has been pretty small and he’s very happy and content to be with the circle of people he knows. I’ve watched him learn to smile and laugh. I’ve seen him get his first teeth. We love to watch him army crawl across the floor as he’s learning to explore. I’ve watched him learn how to sit up on his own and now, to see how he observes his sisters and doesn’t want to be left out of their activities. 

I could go on, because there is so much for which I can be thankful. This practice of gratitude leads us to peace and becomes a gateway to participation in God’s presence. This is how we can experience a peace that surpasses our understanding and lifts us above our circumstances. Joy and peace don’t just happen in our lives, but they come when one is intentionally “in Christ” and daily renews that relationship through prayer. 

Prayer:

Lord, I give you thanks for all that you have done. When I ponder all the ways in which I have seen your hand at work, I stand back in awe. As we continue moving forward into the unknown, may i rest in you, and may your peace and gentleness be evident to all. Amen.