Philippians 4: Points to Ponder

In Galatians 5, Paul reveals to us that once we are in the Spirit we are no longer focused on the lusts of the flesh, rather we are to exercise our faith in the fruits of the Spirit, proving daily we are possessions of the Lord. The first of those fruits is love, and Jesus commanded in His new Royal Command that we are to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The next fruit is joy, the basic teaching of our study book of Philippians.

As believers we are taught that the proper definition of joy from a faith perspective is:

GLADNESS IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCE

Now in chapter four, Paul allows us a glimpse inside his own mind as to what that means and how we discover it.

Joy can be found even in conflict when we:

• Stand together (4:1)

• Think together (4:2)

• Work together (4:3)

• Worship together (4:4)

• Yield together (4:5)

• Remember together (4:5)

Joy can be found in the peace of God when we:

• Commit our lives to prayer (4:6-7)

• Discipline our minds (4:8)

• Live in active obedience (4:9)

Joy can be found in contentment when we remember:

• Contentment is a matter of focus (4:10)

• Contentment is a matter of learning (4:11-12)

• Contentment is a matter of dependence (4:13)

Joy can be found in Gospel Partnership when we:

• Share affliction (4:14)

• Share mission (4:15-16)

• Share commitment (4:17)

• Share worship (4:18)

• Share our source (4:19)

Joy can be found as a basis of Christian life when we:

• Praise the glory of what God has given (4:20)

• Extend that praise to all our greetings (4:21-22)

• Rejoice that the grace of Christ is with us (4:23)