“I have you in my mind.”
Now, let’s just get straight into it and dig into all of its goodness!
“Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,”
Again we see that Paul is always thinking of others, he is not at all focused on himself! Paul has these people in his mind. Such was Paul’s remembrance of the church in Philippi that he made his requests with joy. Oh, if only I did that every time I thought of someone! Paul was always full of joy, even in those circumstances of a less than satisfactory nature. But how can we have that joy? Here are four attitudes that might help if we apply them to our mind:
1. Be of a single-mind. Focus on one thing: Christ. Don’t be double-minded!
2. Be of a submissive mind. Think of others, serve others, have humility.
3. Be of a spiritual mind. Think not on the things of earth, but on the things above.
4. Be of a secure mind. Be anxious for nothing! Pray for God’s peace over every matter.
“for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,”
The Gospel. That’s what it was all about. Is that what it’s all about for us too?
They all had fellowship in the Gospel, they were brought together because of the Gospel, they fought for the Gospel and they lived for the Gospel. Paul had the Gospel on his mind; every step he took, every decision he made was influenced and taken by the Gospel and Christ.
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
It is so good to know that God will not give-up on us! It says that He will complete it. That speaks of such great and wonderful love! The real basis for joyful Christian fellowship, like what Paul and the believers in Philippi had, is to have God working in our lives day by day. God should be in and on our mind every day; this is one of the secrets to great joy.
Verse 6 is amazing...it reminds us not only that whatever God has started in us he will bring to completion, but that we can rely on God's strength, not out own.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a whole attitude shift eh! It's not easy to be joyful all the time, or even much of the time. And what is true joy anyway? I don't think it's feeling constantly ecstatic. It's deeper than that, but hard to describe...
Imagine what could happen if we were all gospel minded, focussing first on Christ and the cross, and second on the others around us!