Encouragement for the Stressed Out - Philippians 4:6-7

Rob here ...
Everyone responds to stress differently.  Some people like to talk about it, share the joy ;), others turn inward and become quiet.  When I get stressed I fidget, and start to drive everyone around me crazy.  I get antsy and feel a real sense of restlessness.

That's why Philippians 4:6-7 are so comforting and challenging!
First, Paul says "Don't be anxious about anything..." Seriously!?  This initially strikes me as really unhelpful.   I like how The Message translates it "Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers."  These prayers can be petitions, or an invitation to beg and call on God for the very thing we are struggling over.  This is how Jesus himself invited us to pray.  


Finally, I love how Paul ends this passage. The Message translates it this way "Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."


So, if I am hearing Paul correctly he is saying:
1) Don't let your first response to a situation be anxiety
2) Bundle everything you are feeling and petition (beg, pester, call out to) God 
3) God's peace, which will not make sense given your circumstances, will displace your worry 


I am guessing that Paul had used this little formula many times in his own life. When he was getting beaten.  When he was shipwrecked.  And now, in prison, he once again was putting into practise this ancient discipline.  


Does this strike you as trite or "Sunday School answer-ish"?
Have you ever experienced God's peace displacing your worry?
What struck you about these verses?

Pure Gift - Philippians 3:9

Renée’s turn. I’ve been chewing on this verse.

v 9 “and be found in him (Christ), not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

My right-standing before God, my value as a human being, my righteousness, doesn’t come from anything in me. It doesn’t come from doing things right, from obeying, from being good or from being better than others at something. Righteousness is a gift from You, God. Pure gift. Wow! Let that sink in again.

I receive this gift and live in the reality that I don’t have to earn anything or prove anything to You. This frees me from trying to earn the approval of others or to make a name for myself. I already have Your approval, a name with You and everything You have is mine. I am Yours. You love me and I am Yours. I am in relationship with You not because of anything I do, but because of Your love, Your gift of Jesus that I have put my faith in. In You I am chosen, secure and highly favoured.

How do I still try to earn Your (God’s) love?

What’s the difference between enjoying Your love & joyfully living out a relationship with You vs. earning Your love & obeying out of duty? Which am I falling into?

How do I still get caught in trying to prove my own righteousness?

How do I expect others to prove their righteousness to me? How can I free them?

How would grasping my identity in Christ more solve other issues?

Read on, in verses 10 and 11, which express the desire to know Christ more and acknowledges the wonder and mystery in that relationship. Good gifts always come with wonder & mystery!

Do you have identity issues too?

Do you ever try to earn love? (or the opposite, take love for granted?)

How do you respond to Philippians 3?

Philippians 3:12

Rob here.  Would love to hear what things stand out to you in chapter 3.  I'm still thinking about verse 3:7-8 where Paul is pretty amped up about this life transforming discovery that there is nothing better than knowing Christ.  In fact, he swears in verse 8 to make his point. The NIV translates the Greek swear word rubbish but today we would translate it"BS"...without the abbreviation...For the record, when preachers cuss, its because their trying to make an important point ;)

I guess I am challenged because Paul already knew a fair bit of Christ: he had personal encounters, he had been given special spiritual gifts: ability to speak in tongues, apostleship or a special leadership gift to start new churches; and I would say he had the gift of wisdom, as he wrote a large portion of the New Testament... and yet, he knew there was so much more to know, learn and experience...and he didn't want to miss any of it.

When I read these verses I heard one giant invitation deeper into Christ!  This excites me, entices me and is actually quite humbling that this offer stands before me...

What strikes you about these verses?  What's response to this invitation?

Workout – Philippians 2:12-30

Renée again. There is lots of great stuff in this section, it’d be great to see what stood out to you. I’m just going to look at one sentence today.

Phil. 2:12b-13 “...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Lord, if I’m honest, I don’t like the sounds of this. I want the Christian life to be easy, none of this fear and trembling stuff. I think it’s easy for me to fall into thinking (without even realizing it sometimes) if I follow You and do all the right things, everything should go well, everything should fall into place and life should be full of blessing. Yet life with You isn’t an equation like that, it’s an on-going relationship living in the reality of a fallen, messed up world. I can follow You, do everything “right” and things can still fall flat on their face. Help me follow You regardless, entrusting the outcomes to You. Lord, I want to follow You and live for You even when it isn’t easy, even if my rights get trampled on and things don’t go how I think they should.

That word “continue” gets me. That means this never ends. It’s an everyday thing. Working out my salvation each day, choosing to live for You each day and figuring out what it means to represent You and the Gospel each day can be difficult and even scary at times. It sure would have been scary for Paul and the Philippians. Often I know the right thing to do or can sense Your nudging to say something or do something, but I need Your courage to act, even through my fear and trembling. I remember the first time I preached in front of people, and how much fear and trembling accompanied me in those moments! Yet, I pushed through even while feeling the fear, trusting You were with me. Thanks for verse 13 which reminds me You are working in me to do the right thing and act in-line with You even when I’m full of fear. Help me remember this and do the right thing for You, even when I feel fear.

I think of particular times and situations where I need Your courage to act, to live out my salvation even with fear and trembling:

- when I can see someone who needs either a word of encouragement or a word of challenge from You, help me have the courage to speak up.

-help me to have the courage with those who are far from You, to be able to show them and tell them of Your great love.

-when my opinion goes against others opinion, help me know when to speak up and have courage to speak up.

-when I experience failure (fall on my face) help me have the courage to still live out my salvation and glorify You. To accept responsibility where I need to and trust Your grace to cover me and lift me up.

-when I’m tempted to take the easy-way-out, to blame someone else for my mistake or avoid the difficult conversation, help me live out Your gospel in that moment and do the right thing instead of the easy thing.

-when the spotlight is on me and I’d rather hide than shine for You give me courage

-preaching!

Where do you need courage to live for God and His ways, even when fear & trembling accompany you?

How do you Think of yourselves-Philippians 2:5-11

Rob here, I think it would be easier if I just quoted directly from my journal today:
"Lord, can hardly believe its a new year, feeling the pressure to get some resolutions in place.  Likely the biggest is to simplify my life, still feel like too many days are out of control.  If I'm honest today, I'm wasn't looking forward to praying this passage (Philippians 2:5-11) as it's so familiar and I've thought about it so many times, and yet its this first verse that has taken me by surprise, so thank you for this freshness; 'Think of yourselves the way Christ thought of himself' (MSG).  As I think about how this applies to me, a couple of things come to mind:


First, Christ knew he was deeply and unconditionally loved by His Father.  This love was not performance based, but relationship based.  This is how Jesus thought about himself.  I need to make sure I give this same gift to the people around me today.


Second, that Christ was launched into his ministry with the most important thing already in place, this unconditional love. I tried to think of what my life would be like if I lived this way, knowing I already possessed the most important thing in life.  Maybe this would help me have clarity on how to simplify.  I suddenly had this image of Jesus, from an emotional angle, engaging people with confidence, joy and certainty because he knew he had the Father's love & acceptance already in the bag."

Lord, how would I parent if I knew this?  How would I treat Jill if I knew this?  How would I lead differently if I knew this?"

Philippians 2:1-11

Renée here.  Here’s just a few things that God seemed to be highlighting today. Today seemed to bring up lots of questions.  (Oh yes, a reminder I address God personally in these devo. times as Lord, God, You, Your...)

From verse 1: Look at what we get as Christians. Thanks God! Wow God!

·         united with Christ

·         comfort from Your love

·         fellowship with Your very Spirit

·         tenderness

·         compassion

Lord, thank You for these things. It’s amazing I can have them. Sometimes it’s hard to receive them or see them. Help me be able to carry this powerful reality with me each day.

You show me tenderness and compassion through the kindness of others. Keep my eyes open to it today.

Bloggers – How do you see God giving you the above things (perhaps through others)?

From verse 2 “being like-minded” & verse 5 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”

What’s it mean to be like-minded with Christ?

Phew – what a high calling – that even in mind and attitude I’d be like You. I know the power for this comes from above, from You. Continue to make me more like You, even in my mind and attitude.

How do I still see people through the wrong lenses instead of with Your (God’s) eyes?

How do I still put myself ahead of others?

How do I still put my own interests, own agenda ahead of others?

What’s it look like to put others and Your agenda first?

How can I better use all You’ve given me to serve others and Your Kingdom?

I read a quote that was a good humility check the other day: Would I be praying this intensely for today’s service (or project at work) if someone else, not me, was teaching/leading it?

Today Lord, help me be like-minded with Christ in the people I encounter and treat them as You would treat them. Help me look to others interests and ideas first, especially in relationships and especially in those I work with.

Bloggers – How come humility seems so counter-cultural and hard at times? 

Does Philippians 2 help us understand the difference between humility and being a doormat?

Philippians 1:12-21

Rob here again...these verses are simply amazing, and I'm not sure I had any "insights" into the passage, instead I felt like I just needed to sit and stew in these words for a bit.

There were two lines in particular that really were helpful to me:
"some preach Christ out of envy & rivalry, but others out of good will" vs15
I guess as a "preacher" this of course challenges my motives.  What motivates me to do well? What audience am I living for? Who’s approval am I seeking?  Why do certain people's compliments mean more than others?  Why do certain people's criticisms sting more than others?  Am I alone in this?
This has application beyond "public preaching" obviously, and is likely one of those things I will always need to work on. . . But Paul helps me see the goal more clearly, that I would only be concerned with full-out obedience to Him.

"Sufficient courage" vs 20
We have been reading a few nights a week at supper with the kids and last night we talked about 1:10, being able to make wise choices.  Jill and I were trying to convince the kids that likely 90% of the choices they face will be easy to make but hard to follow thru on.   I've found it true in my own life, whether its in my marriage, or taking time to parent, or to lead the church well, its not that I don't know what I'm supposed to do, its whether I have the courage to press on when it gets hard.  So, I will be adding this to my prayer life. . . how about you?

Do you have "audience issues" like me? Where you forget who you are trying to impress most?
Are you facing something that requires courage?
Thanks for listening in...
Rob