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As Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Philippians, he wants them to see a bright future, filled with God’s peace that passes all understanding.
And wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of peace?
Not just peace with others and peace in the world, but that kind of inner peace that quiets all of our worries and anxieties as we rest in God for the future.
The first nine verses of Philippians 4 deal with six topics that might be called “Holy Habits.”
Through the centuries, Christians have seen the importance of “practicing” Christianity.
Of cultivating habits of holiness (things like prayer, fasting, meditation, service, submission, solitude, confession, celebration, worship) that strengthen their faith and develop “muscle memory” of Christianity in action.
As we stand at the front edge of 2018, we can know that Christ is with us and start cultivating holy habits.
v. 5 - The Lord is at hand!
v. 9 - The God of peace will be with you!
1. Stand Firm
The call to “stand firm” refers to a soldier staying faithfully at his post no matter what happens around him.
Let the enemy attack as he will, the soldier’s orders are clear: Stand firm!
This command was often repeated by the Apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 15:58, “Stand firm.
Let nothing move you.”
1 Corinthians 16:13, “Stand firm in the faith.”
Galatians 5:1, “Stand firm … and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Ephesians 6:11, “Take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Ephesians 6:13, “Having done everything, to stand.”
Philippians 1:27, “Stand firm in one spirit.”
Colossians 4:12, “Stand firm in all the will of God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15, “Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you.”
Why this repeated emphasis on standing firm?
I think Paul had a healthy respect for the devil’s attempts to discourage and distract the children of God.
He knew that we would be sorely tempted to leave our post when the bullets of temptation start whizzing by our heads.
So he repeats it again and again: Stand firm!
All of us are tempted to give up from time to time, to turn to the right or the left, or to slink away from problems and do something easier.
Stand firm!
This is where a happy new year begins.
Husbands, stand firm!
Wives, stand firm!
Parents, stand firm!
Children, stand firm!
Students, stand firm!
Singles, stand firm!
Whoever you are and whatever you are doing, if you don’t do anything else, do this: Stand firm!
2. Settle Your Differences
(submission)
Paul next deals with a problem inside the Philippian church.
It seems that two leading women couldn’t get along with each other.
One was named “Euodia” (meaning “sweet smell") and the other was named “Syntyche” (meaning “friendly").
We don’t know much about these women or the precise nature of their dispute.
They were evidently well-known leaders in the church who had a serious falling out.
For whatever reason, “Sweet smell” and “Friendly” weren’t very sweet or very friendly to each other.
I wonder how these two women felt when they heard their names read in public.
Two thousand years later they stand for all people who can’t get along.
Paul doesn’t give us very many details.
We can’t tell from his words the background of the problem, and nothing he says lets us know who was right and who was wrong.
Instead of taking sides, he simply exhorts these two Christian women to settle their differences.
We do know this much.
Paul regards these women as genuine believers (their names are written in the Book of Life, v. 3).
They are evidently personal friends of his who worked with him in founding the church at Philippi.
Instead of focusing on the causes, Paul exhorts these two women to “agree"—which literally means to come to one mind.
It doesn’t mean seeing eye to eye on every detail; instead it indicates a personal choice to focus on the things that united them in Christ.
As we ponder this short section of Scripture, here are a few principles for handling our interpersonal problems:
Be willing to ask forgiveness
Look for opportunities to show kindness in small ways
Focus on what unites us instead of what divides us
Pray for the success of the other person
Ask God to remove bitterness from your heart
Ask a friend to hold you accountable in this area
So consider the state of your relationships.
Don’t enter 2018 without making a sincere effort to settle your disagreements.
If you can’t settle them completely, you can at least make an effort in that direction.
3. Resolve to Rejoice
(celebration / worship)
Paul’s third command is quite simple: “Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!” (4:4).
Though short, this command may be the most difficult one to obey consistently.
Note that the command to rejoice is the only one that is repeated.
Why is that?
I think it’s because we tend to forget this one in the midst of dealing with difficult people and the upsetting problems of life.
When Paul says, “Rejoice always,” he’s not talking about giddiness or a positive mental attitude.
This is not “put on a happy face” or “look for the silver lining.”
The rejoicing he has in mind is not based on outward circumstances.
That’s crucial because very often our circumstances are quite depressing.
Where was Paul when he wrote these words?
In a Roman prison chained to Roman guards 24 hours a day.
He was on trial for his life with no certain hope of release.
I take it that Paul didn’t “enjoy” being in prison but he found reasons to rejoice even in that difficult circumstance.
May I give you a bit of homework as a practical way to apply this message?
Sometime over the next couple of days, take a sheet of paper and write at the top Reasons to Rejoice Today.
Then give yourself five or ten minutes and list as many reasons as you can think of to rejoice in the Lord.
I did that recently and here’s the list I came up with in about five minutes:
We live in a beautiful place
We have a roof over our heads and enough food to eat
My sins are forgiven; I have a Savior
A wife who loves me
A wonderful son
We’re all in good health
Enough money to pay our bills
I have a new immersion blender and Star Trek pajamas
I have good books to read
Many answered prayers
People who pray for me
Exciting plans for 2018
New year means a new start
4. Ask God for a Gentle Spirit
Greek scholars tell us that the word translated here as “gentleness” is a hard one to precisely translate into English.
Other possibilities include “reasonableness,” “forbearance,” “mildness,” and “fair-mindedness.”
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