Philippians (Part Three)

Philippian Generosity 4:10-13

^“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.”

Reading this verse I am reminded of how we sometimes belittle the power of prayer and giving to someone through prayer, caring for someone through prayer. I was looking for a quote I remembered hearing awhile back but instead found this one that is along the same lines:

"You yourself can influence more people for God by prayer than in any other
way. It is not the only thing you must, but the greatest thing you can do."

-Wesly Deuwel

Though we may not always be able to give financially or in any other material way we can always give in the greatest way.

My love language for showing love is giving gifts. Every time I go to the store I see something I think someone else should have. Sometimes I get carried away with the idea and depend on this love language to show love more than any other way. When the suggestion is made to pray for someone that I can’t give to I initially feel as if it’s not enough. Surely there is something else I can do right? What else could fulfill the duty of giving love as entirely as going before God and making a request on another’s behalf?

Maybe the issue isn’t about faith in God to provide but wanting credit for providing. I know I always have to check my intentions before giving a gift. Is my gift-giving self-centered? Am I hoping to gain anything?

“Not that I speak in regard to need…”

Paul was appreciative of the Philippians for their act of giving, not the gift itself. It is good to give and Christ-like to desire to give. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

“…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content…”

The rest of verse 11 hits home, hard. A psalm was placed on my heart this week and that is 62:5. It has been a source of calm in my anxious mind on several occasions throughout college and now after. It says, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.” This is the new living translation. Other translations say “soul” instead of “all that I am” and “expectation” instead of “hope”. Our soul, our core, should only hope for, only expect for, God to come through. He has always promised that He will, we just have to trust. With this trust comes contentment. When we allow ourselves to expect things from people, our job, church, or anything else that makes up our life other than God, we will more often than not find ourselves disappointed. Discontented. When we expect God, who never fails, to provide we are satisfied.

“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

So I had to look up the word abased and found that it means to humiliate, lower, and to humble. Abound has quite the opposite meaning, to be prevalent, plentiful, and abundant. Basically, Paul knows how to live with nothing and with everything and so should we.

We cannot allow our circumstances to dictate our joy. A wise statement I was so blessed with in college. Having God makes having anything else insignificant in comparison. We should be able to do more than just survive living in meager or abundant conditions, because our God is more than enough. With Him our life is overflowing with greater treasures than what we can purchase at Best Buy or The Gap.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I love how these scriptures build on each other so beautifully. Paul consistently writes in a way that prepares the reader for the next verse. Teaching them the mindset they should have to take on the next bit of wisdom. When we understand how desperately we need God to not only satisfy our needs but to help us provide for others, we will find that our reliance empowers us.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 says, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We usually realize how much we are in need when we feel weak. Accepting this need and allowing ourselves to depend fully on God allows God to work more fully through us. And even though He knows when we’re struggling, we have to ask Him for help. We have to trust that we truly can do anything with the strength of Christ.

Taking a step back, I think God wanted me to write this so I could read it myself.

Advent Conspiracy

Last year I accepted a challenge to give in a different way at Christmas. Rather than spend money and time searching for "perfect" material gifts I would use that money and put it towards worthy causes in the name of those I wanted to honor at Christmas time. They still received something from me at Christmas, joy. To continue this new tradition I have set up a First Giving advocacy page specifically for Living Water International. Visit my site and learn about this amazing organization. Pray about giving. If you had any intention of spending money on me this Christmas, my wish is for it to go here.

www.adventconspiracy.org has other wonderful ideas for giving and serving this Christmas season. Consider the challenge, watch some videos, read the blog, and put a plan into action of how you can help others see and feel the true meaning of Christmas.

His birth was an act of love, revolutionary love. Honor your King with acts of love.

If you would like more information about Living Water International please visit their site at:
http://www.water.cc/

Philippians 4 (Part Two)

Part Two: Philippians 4:8-9

Meditate on These Things

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

I have fallen in love with these two verses this week. I read a commentary that described this list: “noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue, praiseworthy as fruit and the food of the mind that is guarded by the peace of God. When we put these things into our mind, they stay in our mind and then come forth from us.” (http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/5004.htm)

It makes me think of the saying you are what you eat. When you eat unhealthy things (as delicious as they might be) it can negatively affect your outward appearance. Much like I evaluate my eating habits I’ve had to question and evaluate my thought life. Am I choosing to take in the positive joyful spirit that the Lord provides? Does my outward appearance reflect this?

This week has been hard at times to focus on the positive. So I began to surround myself with the positive. In church Sunday we discussed thanksgiving, appropriate for the season, and I realized what could be more positive than giving thanks? It truly is good for the soul to thank others. You just can’t feel bad after you genuinely step back, reflect on the love another has shown you, and show your appreciation.

God has given me so many people to thank and I wish I had the perfect settings to thank them each individually. Maybe those settings will reveal themselves as time goes on.

Something else I really love about verse 8 is the word meditate. Although meditating and praying are not quite the same things I think when both are present in a person’s spiritual life they complement each other. When we meditate our thoughts are held captive. We are focused. In this state we are more likely to clearly hear God’s commands and obey.

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

My challenge for myself is to continue meditating on the things mentioned in Philippians 4:8 and protect this meditation by looking to God and not the world, allowing his word to renew my mind daily. Something I’ve heard in a kids’ Sunday school program is, “Let’s breathe God in *inhale* and breathe the world out *exhale*.”

You might feel silly but you should try it!

Philippians 4 (Part One)

I am a terrible blogger. I tried earlier this year, in January, and haven’t blogged since. I didn’t think I would make another attempt but God is transitioning me into a new season, and I feel giving my blog a second chance is quite fitting. I need an outlet, a place to express what I am feeling but for a specific intention, to encourage someone other than myself with what God reveals to me as I study His word.

God brought a message in church this morning that I couldn’t leave just floating in my head. I had to look into it. I knew He had more for me to discover but I had to pursue it. I was sure it would be worth it because there was a promise of peace, something I am desperate for and I know I am not alone in that.

Philippians 4, an incredible chapter of an incredible book has provided comfort in my life on many occasions. Not an accident that I encountered it today. Before I really got into studying I knew I could outline my study with a set of instructions I took away from church earlier:
• Rejoice always
• Be anxious for nothing
• Pray

I am only going to focus on verses 4-7 for the time being.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

Verse 4 is where I got the first instruction from pretty easily. It instructs us to rejoice and not just when we feel like it but always. In college I heard on numerous occasions to not let my joy be dictated by my circumstances. Rejoicing is expressing joy, and just as I had been advised to do before God’s word also reminds us to express joy, pure joy, regardless of what we’re going through. (James 1:2) Paul understood how important having this attitude of unshakeable joy is that he repeated himself. He knew, before he laid out his message, the mindset his listeners needed to have.

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Here we are reminded of one of the fruits of the spirit, gentleness. Gentleness describes a person’s heart that has released to God all of their anxieties and understands that He is in control. A gentle person doesn’t allow their spirit to grow restless over a worry or trial, but instead asks God to take it away so it doesn’t affect their disposition. This is a quality Christ showed everyone, not just his disciples but all men. We can’t only show gentleness to those who are easy to be gentle and patient with. As a teacher of junior high students I find myself struggling everyday with gentleness. It is hard to have patience and not let my irritation get the best of me sometimes. I tend to be gentler with students who are respectful and cooperative, when it’s the disrespectful and uncooperative students who need a gentle spirit most. The end of this verse reminds us of the eternal view we must have, that Christ’s return is coming. It places a sense of urgency on being gentle and obeying the word of the Lord as well as provides a purpose. Why should I be gentle even to those that cause me so much grief? Because in the end God will make every wrong right in our crazy world. He will settle the score. We must let Him fight the battle.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…”

The bible has punched me in the face, in Christian love of course, with this verse more times that I can count. Anxiety is a huge struggle for me and is for all of us at some point. We all worry, we’re human. We want and expect a lot out of our life and the people in it when we should really just want and expect God’s will. And yes that was way easier to type than to practice. This verse has quite a few parts so let’s break it down:
• “Be anxious for nothing” This is not a suggestion, it is a command. When we are anxious we hold on to things in a weak attempt to control them. Eventually we have to let go, and beginning that process is easier the earlier you start.
• The next three parts all revolve around communication with God:
o “but in everything by prayer” Talk to God about everything
o “and supplication,” Ask God for something
o “with thanksgiving,” Thank God for all things
o “let your requests be made known to God…” God knows our requests, but he wants our participation, so tell him what they are.

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

Here is a promise I desire in my current state, peace. After analyzing the verse before I don’t feel this one needs much explaining. I’ve been told exactly what to do to have peace guard my heart and mind. Now I have to follow His instructions. Rejoice always, be anxious for nothing, and pray.

It will be a good week.