Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4–7)
Read MoreTag Archives: Philippians
Fighting Against Self-Focus
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3–4) Our Father, we who operate in such selfish realms often find ourselves preoccupied with stuff of our own.
Read MoreVulnerability
COULD WE REVISIT those words Paul wrote? “I have not achieved it . . . forgetting the past . . . looking forward to what lies ahead.” Paul’s openness is best described with one word: vulnerability. “I have not achieved/reached it” is a concept Paul mentions no less than three times in Philippians 3:10–14. Read these words again; see if you can find each of the three:
Read MoreDetermination
THOSE WHO REFUSE to get bogged down in and anchored to the past are those who pursue the objectives of the future. People who do this are never petty. They are too involved in getting a job done to be preoccupied with yesterday’s hurts and today’s disappointments. Do you need some fresh encouragement to press on today? Read Paul’s testimony:
Read MorePersistence Pays
PERSISTENCE IS A COSTLY INVESTMENT, no question about it. But the dividends are so much greater than the original outlay that you’ll almost forget the price. And if the final benefits are significant, you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated to begin with. A primary reason we are tempted to give up is other people . . . you know, the less than 20 percent whose major role it is in life to encourage others to toss in the towel, for whatever reason.
Read MoreAn Attitude of Genuine Thanksgiving
Paul had an attitude of genuine thanksgiving: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word.”
Read MoreAn Attitude of Strong Determination
Paul commands believers to possess the attitude of strong determination. He confesses, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind . . .” (Philippians 3:13–14).
Read MoreLearned Contentment
Paul recommends an attitude of unselfish humility. Quite remarkably, you never read where Paul said to his Roman guard, “I need you to do me a favor. . .”
Read MoreSecret to Contentment
Paul is under house arrest in rented quarters; he refuses to focus on that. He is far from home, and his future is uncertain; he doesn’t let that concern him. He is bound to a Roman guard every day; no problem.
Read MoreDespite Your Circumstances
Few people in the first century had a deeper understanding of God’s grace than the apostle Paul. Redeemed from a life of vicious brutality as a rigid legalistic Pharisee, the man turned the corner, repented, . . .
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