The Call to Joy
“Man, tense time of year.” I heard this phrase from our pastor in response to problems our small collegiate church in the Pacific Northwest faces. The luster of new relationships has worn off with the passing of time and the surfacing of immaturity, coupled with the in-creeping cold to chill our bones and the steadily increasing demand school impresses on us. This is not just a backyard reality, though, for a young church; we also happen to be entering the election season. Slander campaigns and blame-shifting headlines flash on our screens while our friends voice opinions demanding change and approval. A tense time of year indeed. But this wrestle with darkness is just that; we are only coming face to face with it. The Bible is very much aware of how things are going (yes, even in twenty-first century America), and considering how Paul speaks to the Philippians to conclude his letter of encouragement might prove a timely reacquaintance with the Gospel and the path we ought to walk to endure well as God’s people.
What do you think of when you hear of the weapons we fight the good fight with? Do joy, peace, and thankfulness in songs of praise come to mind? What about reconciling with the brother or sister you have beef with? To Paul, this tension we battle every day living in a fallen, broken world starts with a very different kind of revolution: matters of the heart and mind. Thinking about the “whole inner person,” as John MacArthur pointed out in his Commentary on Philippians 4:7 (p.1725), everything mentioned about joy, thankfulness, and peace is all unseen. It is the state of our internal selves and is very much affected by how well we remain in Christ, no matter the storm, challenge, or circumstance.
The Philippians found themselves in world history at a time when it was particularly difficult to be a Christian, yet Paul can tell them to take heart and have peace as it is readily available and in abundance. Not only does the peace guard both heart and mind (v.7), but it establishes a clearer understanding of God’s nearness (v.9). Or rather, we know in our hearts God is with us because He is our peace. This means the warring happening all around us is not true of our internal reality when we are found in Christ. On top of these two references to the great internal peace we have, what is more, Paul tells the women in the church to have peace with one another. We see this encouragement to be reconciled with one another in almost every explanation of taking hold of this peace. The world around us is in a contentious battle, but Jesus has overcome the world, and in Him, we have these things readily available in abundant supply. This is what distinguishes us from the rest of the world. How couldn’t we be thankful for this?
Who else is our example of this but Jesus Christ Himself, who endured the cross? The joy that was before Him was on the other side of something very difficult. His eyes were set further down the road, though, and what was in front of him paled in comparison to his reward. He not only does this for our salvation, that we would now have the prize of eternity with the Father instead of damnation, but He was also an example for us to follow. The struggles of this life have the power to distract us and take us off the path to life. But the hope and power in Christ equip us to set our eyes just as He did. Like Christ, we need to think of a long game.
How we keep our eyes set on what’s above is through these internal means He gave us. We have peace in Him and joy when we take the posture of praise and thanksgiving in our requests. But that’s just it; we are drawing near to God in all of it. We remain in Christ; we remember how he died for us, removing the insurmountable obstacle of sin separating us from God. We remember His resurrection and how in Him we have overcome the world. Now, we remove everything between us from the Father by walking with Him. We remain in His body (the church), and we praise Him in thankfulness because of His sacrifice. Church, take time to draw near to Him, approach Him who is worthy of His praise, and let the God of peace renew your strength day by day.
Prayerfully consider the following questions:
What is in the way between you and God right now? What needs to be removed and laid at the feet of Jesus?
Is there something challenging in your current season of life? How can you take up weapons of praise and thankfulness?
How can you be an advocate for the ways of Christ and peace in your church family this week?
