Did you ever wonder why you feel so good when you are really thankful for good family and friends who love you and are always “there for you”, no matter what? Or, maybe you have similar feelings when you’re in a beautiful place in nature on vacation and you can truly relax and enjoy the beauty, rest, and reinvigoration of the moment with friends or family, and it feels so good that you never want to go back to “real life” of school, work, etc.? I’m writing this the day before Thanksgiving. Those of us who are wise will use this one day, at least, to slow down from this divisive, face-paced, out of control culture we all live in, and reflect for a little while on what is truly good and wonderful in our lives, and be thankful. Others, sadly, will continue to be angry about politics, the world, their family, etc. and leave the day more tired, bitter, and maybe more angry than when they started!
How can we find lasting joy, happiness, peace and blessing in life? Is it even possible? If you are looking for circumstantial happiness or joy that is always there, you will never find it! We all live in a broken world, broken by the effects of sin on us all. We will all have illness, tragedies, loss of income or goods, people who dislike us or betray us, and we will all lose family and friends to death at some point, and all of these circumstances might cause us to feel awful, angry, and hopeless. Nobody’s life is “blessed” all the time, no matter what their Facebook page might falsely portray!
The good news is, God has shown us a pathway to find peace, joy, and blessing in spite of the sin and brokenness that weighs on us all. But if you really want what God is offering, it all begins with knowing Jesus! The apostle Paul shared his life story with us in Philippians. Early in his life, he “had it all”. He was a wealthy, well-respected religious leader, was very intelligent and probably could out-debate anyone. He was in the “elite” class, everybody loved or feared him, and he was probably the type of person who got first row tickets given to him to any concert or sporting event of his day. The envy of everybody… and yet, he was empty!
In Philippians 3:7-11, Paul tells us how that all paled in comparison to finally coming to know Jesus personally:
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, 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 is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV)
You see, when Paul surrendered to the call of Jesus on his life and became his follower, all the “cool stuff” of his past was meaningless and worthless compared to what he found in knowing Jesus personally! Now that doesn’t mean that everything went well or was easy for him; just the opposite happened! He lost most of his friends, he was ridiculed, he became poor, he was beaten often for his preaching and was even left for dead, and he was imprisoned many times for speaking the gospel. He actually wrote this letter from a prison in Rome, not too long before he was executed for his faith!
In spite of all that, Paul found an inner joy, peace, and hope that came from God and was unshakable in spite of outside circumstances! This joy and peace that God gives becomes a way of life, an attitude and viewpoint given to those who join God’s Kingdom and now see the world from His perspective. Being blessed and having joy are very similar concepts in the Bible, and may be described as “a state of well-being where Kingdom followers in Christ both enjoy and extend the goodness of God in their lives”. (from Tony Evans, in his book “Kingdom Values”)
The Bible speaks of this inner state as a river that keeps flowing even in times of drought, and is given to us by the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Do you want that never-ending joy, peace, and hope in your life, no matter what the circumstances of the moment might be? I know I do!
Later in Philippians, Paul gives us a pathway and the results:
THE PATHWAY:
Philippians 4:4-6, 8-9 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This is pretty basic, but powerfully effective stuff:
– Be gentle with others, and rejoice in all circumstances, not because they are all good, but because God is near you and helping you through the circumstances
– Don’t be anxious about anything! Instead, take all your concerns and needs to God in prayer, being thankful that he hears you and has all the power you need to deal with life!
– Focus on all the good stuff in life!.. what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy! And then present that good stuff and the hope that is in you to the world around you. Life will be much more enjoyable and purposeful!
THE RESULTS:
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:7, 11-13 (NIV)
This is the results we are looking for!
– God will give us a deep and lasting sense of peace that is greater than we can even understand, and it will protect our thoughts and feelings and keep us focused on God’s presence, power, and hope for a wonderful future with him!
– It will enable us to be content in any circumstance in life, and therefore we won’t have to worry or be anxious about anything! God will give us strength to face every phase of life with him!
When we trust our lives to Jesus, he offers us:
– Joy in the midst of everything we go through
– A peace that is permanent and beyond our understanding
– Gratitude for all the goodness he brings into our lives
– Power to be content in all circumstances, and the ability to share the hope we have with others
I pray you find God’s permanent joy and peace, and gratitude in your life, now and forever!