Philippians 1:1-2, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The book of Philippians’ Paul wrote to encourage his close friends, in Philippi (a city in present-day Greece), in their faith while he was yet in prison, in Rome. In these four chapters, Paul mentions joy, rejoicing, or gladness nineteen times. Yet Paul was a political prisoner and being executed was a possibility he was aware might happen. Paul lived out the truth that inner joy is not related to or dependent on happiness. Contentment, peace, serenity can only come from knowing Christ personally and relying on His strength rather than our own. Paul looked at his circumstances through Christ. He helped strengthen other Christians, embraced new opportunities to lead others to salvation even while in prison, and was enabled to defend the gospel before the courts of Rome.
Since Paul was a Roman prisoner, he knew his case was coming up shortly before Caesar. He could be acquitted or beheaded (Acts 28:30-31). He was chained to a Roman soldier and was not permitted to preach the gospel in public so he did it right where God had him living, in prison.
Paul’s intent and desire was to go to Rome as a minister of the gospel but arrived as a prisoner. Doors slammed shut more than once for Paul during his ministry. Earlier, God shut the door to Asia for Paul, and he then realized that Europe was where God wanted him to go instead, which is where the Philippian church came about to be during Paul’s second missionary journey recorded in Acts 16:1-40.
To make matters worse, some of the believers at Rome were for Paul, and others were against him (Philippians 1:15-17) out of jealousy of his apostolic power, authority, success and tremendous giftedness. Yet, despite all of that, Paul maintained a continual spirit of joy. How was Paul able to do that? What was his secret?
Paul knew that it all takes place in our thought processes. Paul used the word mind ten times, and he used the word think five times in his letter to the Philippians. Remember was also stated by Paul as well, which equals a total of sixteen references to the mind. “Philippians, then, is a Christian psychology book, based solidly on Bible doctrine. It is not a shallow self-help book that tells the reader how to convince himself that “everything is going to turn out all right.” It is a book that explains the mind the believer must have if he is going to experience Christian joy in a world filled with trouble.” Be Joyful Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy. NT Commentary, Philippians by Warren Wiersbe.
What trial are you currently facing? Who is a guard chained to you withholding your freedom? It might be circumstances, people, things you don’t have and want, or worry. Did you ever think that your circumstances might just work for you rather than against you? The antidote verse to remember is as Paul wrote in Phil. 2:13, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
In Acts 16:25, it states: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” There is power in prayer and singing words of worship, to our God! Oh that our prayers and singing praises to our Lord would have that powerful effect!
As a committed servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, give grace and peace in serving others as God has blessed and delivered to you. You can repay others that have shown kindness to you by praying for them in joy (J-Jesus, O-others, Y-yourself, method) as Paul did for the Philippians. Drink in God’s Word, be listening for His voice, and have it deeply embedded within your mind and thoughts because that is how you will be able to choose joy on purpose, breaking the chains that hold you prisoner, just as Paul, a man of grit, was determined to do.
Listen to Shane and Shane, Is He Worthy (lyrics) 5/11/2019