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Philippians 4:4-7 – The Candle of Peace

by Gary Sims
12/08/03
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The Letters
Philippians 4:4-7 – The Candle of Peace

Background:

Paul is addressing an issue where two women in the Philippian church, Euodia and Syntyche, though dedicated individuals to the cause of Christ, have had a difficult time with each other. Their broken relationship is having an impact on the well-being of the entire faith community and Paul is calling them to “stand firm in the Lord” and is urging them “to be of the same mind in the Lord.” (Phil.4:1-2)

Key Verses: (NRSV)
  • 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” – No matter what difficulties we face, we should always keep our focus on the Lord, rejoicing in His love.

  • 5: “Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” – Christ dwells within us and His love can be revealed to the world around us through the gentleness that He instills.

  • 6: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Handing our lives over to God allows us to set aside the worries, concerns, and anxieties that cause discourse and disharmony.

  • 7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – All warring situations in life can be resolved through the amazing power of God’s love. His peace is available to us all.
Points to Contemplate:
  • Do you stand firm in the Lord? How do you do this? In times of struggle and dispute, do you focus on your own needs and hurts or do you turn to Christ for loving assurance? Are you anxious? Do many of your disputes in ministry come from your desire to make things happen and to fix things that are wrong? When these anxious moments occur, are you able to turn to God with faith that His will is being done?

  • Have you experienced broken relationships? Is it possible to believe in Christ, work hard for His kingdom, and yet have broken relationships with others who are equally committed to the same cause?1 Do you see how damaging these situations can be to a community of faith? When these situations occur, are you able to do as Paul suggests; turn your eyes towards the Lord and rejoice? In doing so, will your gentleness be known to everyone, especially to the one in which you are at war? Can you lift up songs of joy for this person? Can you thank God for their work in building His kingdom? Will this help you to build bridges of commonality, possibly eliminating the issues that have caused strife and disagreement?

  • Are you at peace? If not, why? When you are at peace, what has happened to cause it? Do you understand that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” is always available to you? That when you rejoice in the Lord issues of selfishness and envy cannot reside simultaneously within you? Does rejoicing in the Lord overcome your tendencies towards conflict? Have you tried it? In the midst of your deepest conflict, have you accepted Paul’s advice: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice?”
Promises of the Gospel:

Paul has an amazing understanding of human traits. He takes a situation within a local church and provides us insight to human behavior 2000 years later. One of the most painful experiences we go through is conflict with other equally dedicated Christians. Unfortunately, it happens too frequently. When it does occur, the community around us is damaged. People are hurt. Some will even leave the church, pointing to the hypocrisy as the reason for their departure. Many never return. Paul’s answer to this damaging and hurtful dilemma is to focus on the Lord. At all times, if we turn to God and rejoice in His love, His peace will be available. We do not understand why. It is beyond our understanding but the peace of the Lord is available and He is always near by, especially in times of difficulty and conflict. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”

For this third week in Advent, we light the Candle of Peace.

1”Life Application Bible,” notes verse 4:2-3, pp2086.

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