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January 24, 2010
Philippians 4:4-5

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4:4-5 (NLT)


We expect some basic realities in life to never change. The old saying said you can always count on "death and taxes". We probably all count on a few good times here and there and we've all come to expect bad times as well. The Christians in this church had learned to expect really bad times. But in the middle of their hardship, Paul encourages them to "rejoice in the Lord always." That doesn't seem right. How can you chose to rejoice always, when life is hitting you harder against the wall everyday and there's no sign of light at the end of the tunnel? How can you have joy when all you feel is pain? 

There's reason from the book of Phillipians to surmize that the normal responses to pressure were all there. Unhappiness and fear among some, arguing and fighting among others. These weren't super Christians, they were going through the same emotions you and I experience. But Paul encourages them to remember that their demeanor was being closely watched. Paul reminds us that because "the Lord is near," the Christ follower's behavior should be "evidence" of a difference to the watching world. Paul knew this: the potential for your impact on the world around you is many times proportional to the intensity of your struggle. If you're going through a really big struggle and you chose not to be an incubator for destructive feelings, but rather a display case for God's ability to overcome your circumstance, you have the potential to make a really big impact.

Are you going through tough times? Remember someone is watching to see how you get through... the biggest reality today is not your feelings. The biggest reality today is that "the Lord is near."
 

A Thankful Thought


This might sound a little odd, but I'm very thankful for the "no's" from God! While at the times I didn't understand why a particular door might be closing, or why on earth God didn't see the absolute brilliance of the plan I came up with for my life, I can look back now and be so thankful he kept me from those paths! Of course, there are some "no's" that I still don't understand, and some "no's" that have hurt quite a bit. Even with those, I know that God's ways are not my ways--and his plan is infinitely better for me than mine could ever be! All I have to do is remember what those "no's" have kept me from.

"The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me." -Psalm 138:8

A NewSpring Staff Member


 



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