Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:1-2
This series of devotion is based on St. Paul's letter to the Philippians and I have titled the series as More Joy Less Stress.
When we examine our lives, everyday struggles of all sizes creep into our lives, leaving us stressed, frustrated, anxious and sometimes simply miserable. The believers in Philippi were struggling. They were trying to grow in faith and live for Christ. Trying to deal with conflict and threats of persecution. The apostle Paul was stuck in a Roman prison when he wrote to this young church. His letter could have focused on his own troubles. Instead he wrote about living a life full of joy, peace and contentment. He reminds us of important biblical truths and points us to Jesus as the ultimate example. Paul's letter to the Philippians both encourages us ans inspires us. His confidence reminds us of God's wisdom and control in the difficult moments of life. His excitement challenges us in this guide to being joyful.
Hoping that this series will help us to be more joyful and less stressful we begin with the first two verses for our meditation.
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:1-2
A country boy was once asked what difference Jesus Christ made in his life. The little boy quickly replied, "I feel better now when I feel bad than I used to when I felt good." What a terrific answer to give, isnt it? In other words its saying - the worst that God has to give me is better than the best the world gave me. What is it that God gave - the joy of the Lord.
As Paul begins his letter he mentions the first and the most important thing in his life. He describes both Timothy and himself as 'servants' or 'bond-servants' of Jesus Christ. The reason they were joyful is because they have decided that they are going to serve the Lord.
The word bond-servant (doulous in Greek) describes a person owned by someone else. In simple terms a slave. But how do we get happy being a slave? When this word is used in the New Testament, it usually refers to somebody who serves another willingly or voluntarily. Paul and Timothy are voluntarily devoted and surrendered to Jesus Christ as their master.
As we look back at Paul's life we see that going to Philippi was not in Paul's itinerary. He went there our of compulsion. On his second missionary journey, his plan was to go through Galatia since he had already been there before and then to go forward. That was Paul's plan but he got resistance. God resisted him going to the places he planned.
We need to realize this thing in our life. Sometimes God says no. David experienced this and said in Psalm 37:23 "The steps of a man are established by the Lord." I would like to add one more word to that verse - The steps and stops of a man are established by the Lord. Sometimes God's no is as important as God's go. Paul certainly discovered that. We come to know about that as we read Acts 16.
Paul arrives in Philippi, which is the chief city of Macedonia. Philippi was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Paul after reaching Philippi is looking for a man from Macedonia for he had a vision of a man. His search takes him down to the river side where he sees women praying.
There he meets a woman named Lydia who sold purple fabric from Thyatira and the Lord opened her heart to receive the words spoken by Paul. She comes to Christ because of Paul's presence but things go from bad to worse for Paul. He ends up getting arrested, beaten up and thrown in jail.On the lighter side, there is an old joke about Paul that whenever he would go to a new town, he would say, show me the jail, I want to find out where I'm going to be spending the night. We all know that he spent a lot of time in jail, lot of nights in jail.
So, Paul is in jail stretched out in pain with his partner, and at midnight they sing hymns to God. An earthquake happens, the stocks fall from his hands, the doors open. He ends up leading the Philippian jailer to Christ and his family. These two converts (Lydia and the Jailer) become the seeds of the Philippian church that going to grow. Paul now leaves and years go by, maybe even a decade when he is writing to the Philippian church.
When Paul is writing to the Philippian church, he is in jail again. A difference he is not in Philippi but in Rome. The Philippian church helped him by sending money. A love gift to help support him. For all these help and support Paul is writing back a Thank you letter. As the Philippians read it they discover something unexpected - JOY. Paul had it so bad for so long yet he is writing with joyful terms.
As I mentioned earlier, the Philippian church has small beginning. A woman and a jailer. But now when Paul is writing to thank them the scenario has changed. Verse 1(b) "to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the bishops and the deacons." What started out as a woman by a river and a jailer and his family has grown into all the saints. A spiritual family with spiritual fathers, overseers, and servants and deacons. The church has grown and Paul cannot stop from being thankful to God and to those who helped him.
Dear friends, there are always two sides of every event in our life. There's the factual side of the event and at the same time an actual side of the event. The facts check - the who, the what, the where, the how. The facts are interested in our question I want to know the facts? What happened there? and so on. The actual side on the contrary looks at the why. Why did this happen? Paul lived his life looking around for the actual side of this event. Paul knew the facts, but he concentrated on the why. Why is God allowing this? What's God upto? Where is the will of God in this pain and suffering and turmoil?
As we come to the close of today's devotion - What are we looking at when faced with troubles and pain and suffering? Is it the factual side of the actual side.
May we be always prompted to look at the actual side.
God Bless you all.
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