Joyfull and Anxiety Free.

Philippians 4:4–7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These words are encouraging words; they have given hope and strength to God’s people for almost 2000 years. They are also very challenging words, because of the parameters given to them.

“Rejoice in the Lord always.” This is hard to do when we face times of hardship or discouragement. We don’t feel like rejoicing.

“Do not be anxious about anything,” This is even harder! Often I can’t help but feel anxious. There is so much to worry about in our world. I have even heard of people who were worried by the fact that they weren’t worried over something. Let that sink in.

As we think of these Words, we may be tempted (if we don’t have the proper context) to think, “well that’s easy for the Bible to say, but I don’t know how much it has to do with real life.

Let’s take a look at the author of these words. Let’s see his life, and let’s take them to heart.

“but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

The Paradox of Paul’s Joy

The book of Philippians is a letter written by a man named Paul to the church that Paul had helped start in the city of Philippi. Paul writes this letter somewhere around A.D. 60.

What was Paul doing at the time? He was imprisoned. Worse still he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He had committed no crime. He was innocent of any wrongdoing. He was stuck in Rome waiting to have his case brought before the emperor, who in this case was Nero, a man not well known in history for being just and moral. Though Nero would not begin a campaign to wipe out Christianity till after the Great Fire in A.D. 64 it still was not an ideal setting for Paul. Paul was allowed to live in a small apartment on house arrest under the care of the Praetorian guard, and He was able to do ministry work with those who came to visit him, but he was still very much a prisoner.

The circumstances that had led to Paul starting the church in Philippi were also very hard. Paul and his ministry partner Silas had come to Philippi on his second missionary journey. When they got there things started off well. A wealthy business woman named Lydia converted to Christianity, and began supporting the ministry there. However it wasn’t long before Paul and Silas upset some people with his message and by bringing a young girl, who had been demon possessed to Christ. They had Paul beaten and thrown in prison.

Both in writing to the church in Philippi and in his initial visit to the city, Paul had been wrongfully imprisoned. These are hardly circumstances for rejoicing. These are circumstances for anxiety. Yet Paul still found a way to have joy!

Acts 16:25 ESV

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Now I don’t imagine the Paul and Silas were partying in the prison. They had been beaten, chained, and thrown in the dungeon. Yet they did still find the strength to pray and sing hymns of praise to God.

Years latter as he is writing the letter to them Paul says this to the Philippians.

Philippians 1:3–5 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Again Paul is finding a reason for joy while in prison. He had made an intentional habit of being joyful.

The question is how? Where did Paul find this joy that allowed him to sing in the stocks and rejoice in the Lord always?

The Places of Paul’s Joy

I. Paul found Joy in His Partnerships

Philippians 1:3–5 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Paul found joy in the relationships that he built along the way.

The letter to the Phillippians is full of people that Paul loved and worked with, and He mentions them by name.

Timothy

Epaphroditus

Eudia

Syntyche

Clement

Paul did not live by himself. He lived life in a community of people. Paul also did not live for himself. He lived a life dedicated to the care of others. This was a lesson Paul wanted the Philippians to learn as well.

Philippians 2:2–4 ESV

2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

II. Paul Found Joy in His Purpose

Even greater than the people Paul had met. Paul found a purpose in his life. It gave him a reason to get up and keep going. It drove him onward.

Philippians 1:12–14 ESV

12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul’s purpose was found in advancing the Gospel. This purpose kept him grounded. It was the true north for the compass of his life. This carried him even when people around him failed him.

Philippians 1:15–18 ESV

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

There were people out there preaching about Jesus intending to somehow use the gospel as a way to make things harder on Paul. Paul even rejoiced in this, because while there motives were crooked, Christ was being preached. That is what mattered most to Paul. He wanted the world to know the good news. He wanted all men to know that Jesus came to die for sinners and that He rose again to give them life. He wanted each person to have a chance to respond to the gospel. The more it went out the more Paul could rejoice.

He put it this way in his own words.

Philippians 1:21 ESV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Even the old accomplishments of his life paled in comparison to this purpose of Paul’s

Philippians 3:7–11 ESV

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

III. Paul Found Joy in his Pondering

The happiness of your life depends on the character of your thoughts.

—Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius (Roman emperor and stoic philosopher)

This was certainly not a new concept to Paul. He knew it, he lived it, and he taught it to the Philippians. As he closes his letter to the church, he says this.

Philippians 4:8–9 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

In conclusion, Paul makes it clear that you can have joy even in the hardship of life. Paul found joy in his partnerships. Paul found joy in his purpose, to spread the gospel, and Paul found joy in his pondering. We can too.