Cycle of Joy

In the 70's there was a trend in Bible studies (before they were tagged as "small groups" or "life groups"). This new facet was a sign of the times, and it was called "sharing." Truthfully, I am not sure whether it grew out of group therapy or the other way around (I was not involved in the counseling field until the mid-80's). The idea was, everyone had a perspective to contribute. I call it a sign of the times because American society was drifting away from authority (and absolutes) and into individuality, and subjective interpretations and applications.

In the New Testament, sharing has an entirely different meaning. In the early church, each shared according to his or her ability. What set this apart from a socialist state was the voluntary, from-the- heart, aspect of their giving. It was motivated by the Holy Spirit, not by the strong arm of government. Many of Paul's letters include statements of gratitude that the churches he knew and loved shared in his ministry. Such statements are found in his (nearly) closing statements to the church in Philippi:

" I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed you have been concerned but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out form Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.  Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account." Philippians 4: 10-11; 14-17

Paul found joy in the expression of their concern for him. Apparently this was practical, tangible support as he speaks to his contentment in the material realm (under any circumstances). He has not forgotten earlier days when the Philippians stood alone in their support of him. Interestingly, Paul's maturity shows in that his joy is not in what he has received from them so much as the rewards they will receive for their generosity. They shared in his troubles, they shared in his financial burden, and they will share as well in whatever " may be credited to their account." Such is the nature of Paul's love for the church: he always has their best interest at heart and he is joyful that they will now share in the benefits of giving from gracious hearts. This is not a prosperity doctrine, rather, it is an example of selfless living which finds its reward in the knowledge that God is pleased.

A consistent theme in this book about rejoicing is the focus on God and others. Paul appreciates their gift, and acknowledges it was good of them to give it. He is most excited, though, about what they will receive in the process. This may be eternal reward or spiritual maturity or both (I wonder if they are so different, really).

The cycle we can observe here looks something like this: Jesus laid down his life for us; Paul responded by laying down his life for others (for Christ's sake); others responded to their own opportunities for selfless living; Paul rejoiced and Christ was both pleased and glorified.

These are keys to the Kingdom. We do not earn salvation by good works but, we respond to salvation by good works. We want to please the One who laid his life down for us. Others are blessed and respond in kind and on and on. It is the reverse of cultural values to amass wealth and possessions as the meaning and measure of success. By asking, "How can I be truly helpful?" and, "Does it please God?' we find joy in sharing each other's burdens, triumphs and rewards. The paradox is that to find joy we give it to another. In order to do so, we need to take Jesus at his word when he said that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Bringing It Home

One of the developments in conveying a message has been the use of multimedia presentations. It is no longer optimal for a speaker to just stand up and talk to an audience. Now we expect to engage more of our senses--we will also see beautiful images projected on large screens, we will hear and sing words which are hopefully congruent with the message, we may see relevant poignant or humorous videos to engage our emotions--all carefully planned to bring the message home to our hearts and lives.

Long before the age of multimedia presentations, Paul invited the members of the Philippian church to think about all the ways his message (of the gospel; of right thinking resulting in peace and unity) had been set before them:

"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." Philippians 4:9

They had been taught and learned these things from Paul. This intellectual grasp, while not the whole enchilada, was a good start. At least (he assumes) they had paid attention and understood the message. They had also received it.  Today we may speak of "receiving Christ," meaning we have accepted the message and believe that his sacrifice was sufficient to redeem us. The Philippians had received Paul's message, as they listened, understood and embraced it. When we receive a thing we call it our own. In the same way, the Philippians had "owned" the message. They had not only heard the message from Paul, but they had seen it in him. The way he lived his life matched what he taught. Paul, though mature, was still a fallible human being. Part of what they had seen in him was a full acknowledgment of his weaknesses, his need for grace and forgiveness, and his dogged determination to forget the past (even the recent past) and press on to the fulfillment of all Christ had in mind for him.

Multimedia presentations are fine. Now that we understand the various ways that people learn and imitate things, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using that understanding to enhance the way we present things. As we do so, it is very important that we acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing the Word to life in the hearts of believers. It is equally important that our walk match our talk.

It is not enough to lecture people about right thinking and living. I believe this is part of what the book of James is talking about when it says that teachers will undergo a stricter judgment. People are right in expecting us to live out what we teach, though imperfectly. In humility, if we seek forgiveness and grace when we falter, we are still teaching by example. We are showing others how to follow Jesus, stumbling and getting back up again and again, forgiving others as we ourselves need ongoing forgiveness, and choosing to train our minds to dwell on all that is good, righteous, pure, true, excellent and praiseworthy.

Walk in what you profess to believe.  Teach truth and love well. Cling to the God of peace who is with you always.

 

Adding On

I have watched with interest the expansion of our local theater here in Montrose, Colorado. As the stockpile of props and properties has grown, the organization had considered relocation but opted for adding on. Sometimes good things can be improved.

 

So it was with Paul's message to the Philippians. He had patiently built a case for love, joy, and unity among them (rooted in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ). He had just given them the take-away: Always rejoice, live gently, trade anxiety for a trusting, grateful relationship with God, and enjoy the resulting peace. Now he gives them some additional advice:

"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." Philippians 4:8

Long before Albert Ellis coined the terminology "cognitive restructuring," the Word of God was teaching that the thoughts we nurture manifest themselves in our emotions, behaviors, and lives. Here Paul is offering some very specific guidance for peace and unity with God and one another. Today we might say, "look at the bright side." Actually Paul's commands (not to be confused with mere suggestions) go deeper than a sunny outlook because they are rooted in reality, not wishful thinking.

What is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy is, quite simply: Jesus. There are times his glory breaks through the cracks in our jars of clay. When this happens, we can take joy in the evidence of his reality, and of his presence and work in us and in one another. In this way, we believe, not in what we are, but in all we can become in the transforming power of Christ's Spirit of holiness.

The Take-Away

A common expression these days is to ask, “What is the take-away?” at the end of a meeting, session, or conference. By this we mean to say, what is the lesson to take with me as I go? The implications have to do with how I will be changed, and consequently, how will my life be different. Nearing the end of his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul begins to summarize his take-away message of love and joy to them:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

Paul seems to be saying: “Here is the take-away: Always rejoice. I can’t say it enough: Rejoice!” Certainly joy in the Lord (different from circumstantial or self-focused happiness) is the predominant theme of the letter. Circumstances change, we even let ourselves down, but the love and grace of Jesus Christ is unchanging. Our promises in him are sure and, we can count on him. In him we have relationship now and for eternity! Looking forward to seeing him face to face overshadows our trials, conflicts and problems here below.

The implications of such joy include the ability to demonstrate gentleness (controlled strength). A lack of gentleness is evidence of a need to control things and people. When we are mindful that Jesus is near and coming to bring everything under his benevolent control, we can relax and be gentle. Gentleness is patient and its goal is restoration, as in Galatians 6:1 where Paul taught that if we find someone in a sin, a spiritual one should go to that person in order to restore him gently, taking care not to fall into sin (such as pride) himself.

Another implication of rejoicing is that we do not go on being anxious as the tense of the verb more accurately describes in the Greek. Of course we will experience some anxiety, as did Paul and every human before and since. As with lust, we can’t keep a bird from flying over our head, but we can keep it from building a nest in our hair. When we become aware of anxiousness we can pray and petition (ask) for God’s help, with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving blesses God and it changes our perspectives and hearts. We are reminded of all we already have in God through Christ, and our focus shifts from the perceived empty half of the glass. We realize that our glass is not even merely half full…it overflows!

Paul has a little more to say in terms of the take-away, but for today please grab hold of this. These principles (joy, patient gentleness, peace) arise from an eternal perspective which leaves behind the petty differences we allow to build walls between us. We are reminded of the view from above and, from there, standing shoulder to shoulder, we see indescribable and inexplicable peace!