The unmistakable mark of a Christian is joy in the midst of painful circumstances.
How are we to cultivate contentment, joy, and peace when life continually throws grenade after grenade at us – echoing chaos, discontentment, and pain into our daily life? Philippians 4 gives us both hope and instruction. Paul calls us to rejoice, pray, and recall. We can rejoice that the Lord is at hand! He has not forgotten us in our sorrows or abandoned us in our sufferings; He is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Our joy is not anchored in our present circumstances but secured in the eternal hope of the Cross. Take heart, for if our God is for us, then who can stand against us?
In moments of fear and anxiety, Paul encourages us to pray and make our requests known to God. God’s only prescription for emotional comfort is connection, which He provides in Himself through prayer. Proverbs 15:29 reminds us that God hears the prayers of the righteous. He knows your voice. Your cries reach His ears. So let us draw near to the God who hears our rejoicing, our blessings, our requests, and our supplications. Whatever your prayer, God invites you to connect with Him because He cares for you.
Sustained joy comes from the recollection and meditation on who God is and what He has done for us. Like in Lamentations 3:21-25, Paul exhorts us in Philippians that we have an active role in fighting for what reigns true in our thought life. What we choose to call to mind, cultivates either hope and contentment or destruction and dissatisfaction. Paul’s last remarks to us in this passage is to think on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
As we meditate on this Scripture, a helpful exercise might be to ascribe theological truths and comforts to each word that Paul lists in this meditation as seen below:
- What is true– God is on the throne.
- What is lovely– God is good.
- What is honorable– to trust in the sovereignty of God
- What is just– God wins
- What is pure– having a God centered focus
- What is commendable– having joy and trust in the Lord despite painful circumstances
- What is excellence– God is all knowing and intimately knows you
- What is worthy of praise– in Christ, our hope is secured.
As we practice meditating on these things, we have both the assurance and the promise that peace and hope will come from a mind meditated on Christ.
Written by Ally Padilla.