Philippians: Finding Joy in Christ

The Come, Follow Me lesson for this week gives this invitation: “As you read Philippians—particularly chapter 4—search for statements that can help you find joy in any circumstance of your life.”  In Philippians 4 there are indeed many powerful statements by Paul that show us how to find joy despite the challenges that we have.  He invited us to focus always on the Lord: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”  Paul taught that we should “be afflicted for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”  No matter what our affliction, we can focus ourselves on prayer and supplication to God to help us rejoice despite our struggles.  He promised that by so doing we can have “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  To have His peace with us can allow us to get through any earthly challenge that we might face.  Indeed, we can say as Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  Surely to have the peace of God and to know that we can get through any difficulty by the strength of Christ surely can be a source of great joy to us despite our trials.  And no matter what we lack in physical needs, Paul’s testimony is this: “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippian 4:4, 6-7, 13, 19).  We can trust that God is able to supply all our needs, and this can be another source of joy and reason to rejoice in the Lord. 

               The other three chapters of Philippians also show the Saints how to find joy despite the difficulties we face.  In Philippians 1 Paul wrote of our need to focus on Christ no matter what happens in our lives: “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”  If Christ is preached then we can rejoice, and through prayer we can have His Spirit with us.  In the troubles of life and even danger of death we can still center ourselves on Christ: “Whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  If we can put Christ at the forefront of our lives then no matter what happens we can, like Paul, rejoice in Him (Philippians 1:18, 20-21).  In Philippians 2 Paul taught that joy also comes by focusing on helping others instead of ourselves.  He wrote, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” This is what he had done in relation to them and received joy for his sacrifices in their behalf: “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.” Despite the sacrifices required of him, Paul found joy in his service to the Saints of Philippi.  He wrote of how “all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s,” but for us to find joy we must “in lowliness of mind… esteem other better than themselves” as Paul did in his service (Philippians 2:4, 17, 21).  In Philippians 3 Paul emphasized again our need to simply “rejoice in the Lord” and to “rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”  We can find joy in focusing on the spiritual instead of the earthly, in seeking for the things of God instead of the things of the world, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [pressing] toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:1, 3, 13-14).  That is how we find joy, forgetting our old ways of sin and reaching forward to the blessings the Savior has in store for the faithful.  Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is a powerful call to all of us to find joy in the Savior Jesus Christ and to focus our lives on Him.