Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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…And the peace of God will be with you.
Philippians 4: 4-9 (NIV)
I wonder if his upbeat perspective about life would have been any different if he had a television set. Then, or today?
It’s a wonder he lived as long as he did actually—experiencing and surviving five floggings each with forty lashes minus one, three beatings with rods, one stoning, three shipwrecks, being robbed by bandits, confronting danger lurking around almost every corner due to his belief in Christ, often going hungry, thirsty, cold and without a shelter to rest his head except during one of his many imprisonments.
I’m not sure anything he might have seen on television about what was going on in the world back then around him could have been any worse than what he experienced, and would have caused him to change his perspective on life. It seems that nothing could have or would have changed that hope he carried in his heart to despair—nothing.
Instead he boldly says “Rejoice in the Lord always…Rejoice!”
I must admit that I haven’t said that too often in the last few weeks or months. And we wouldn’t have found it too often in the behavior lately of some notable leaders in our government, business or sports world. If our children behaved, twisted the truth and treated each other in the ways we have witnessed coming from some of those venues, they would have found themselves banished for life to “time-out” at the very least.
My expectation level is always higher for those who occupy positions of influence and favor. As a result, I am often disappointed. Why not simply follow the path which Paul took?
For Paul suggests a better way for them and us to behave beginning with the focus of our hearts, minds, and the legacy of our lives, when he says—
“…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…And the peace of God will be with you.”
And in the midst of the struggles, storms and sacrifices of his life that was always his focus. Why not let it be the focus of ours?
But even before he shares that focus, Paul underscores a much higher and loftier pursuit, way above the rhetoric and behavior he found around him, and which we too often find around us, when he says in the first part of the scripture above—
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
That’s Paul. Crazy sounding or not. That’s him; always aligned with Christ.
And in our better moments we know that should be us as well—no matter where we find ourselves this morning, or any day of our lives. Aligned with Paul, in alignment with Christ.
Because at the end of it all, at the end of this journey here on earth—no matter what goes on in all the game-playing and priorities of world around us while we are here, it has absolutely no lasting or eternal value, or consequence without Christ.
So what will your life and mine look like? Like those we see around us held high because of worldly fame and fortune?
Or will it be like Paul? Or maybe even like Christ.
The choice is yours and mine. And the choice really will make all the difference in your day, and in your life, and in the world, now and forever.
Choose well.
In His Name—Scott
Copyright 2015. Scott L. Whitaker. All rights reserved.
