Read Philippians 1:3-6.
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
The book of Philippians is interesting in how it shows the incredible positivity of Paul. When Paul wrote this book, he was actually in Rome under house arrest! He had a guard 24/7… chained to him by a chain probably about 18” long. A different guard came every six hours or so and chained himself to this harmless man of God. And besides that, Paul was waiting to find out if he was going to be allowed to live or if he was going to be put to death.
I would have been majorly stressed out!
The Church at Philippi was a church Paul had started about ten years earlier. Lydia and the jailer were some of the first believers there. (Read about it in Acts 16.).
Now Paul was under threat. There were preachers telling the Philippians not to listen to Paul; that God must be angry with him because he was in jail. “Follow us instead. Don’t listen to him,” they said.
What a confusing time!
The letter to the Philippians is Paul’s reply to all this concern. He said basically, “Don’t worry about me. I’m not upset or depressed. I have great joy! Because joy is not tied to circumstances. It’s not about our happiness. Instead, joy is about our relationship with Christ Jesus, and I have that!”
The joy we have in Advent is not joy around a jolly gift giver, in sparkling lights, or in the gifts under the tree. Those things might make us happy, but they are fleeting. Joy in Advent comes from knowing Jesus is born for us, lived for us, so that we can be saved through His death and resurrection.
In verse six, Paul talks about the joy of anticipation. Paul was confident that God would work in them as a congregation. Sure, the “odds were against them.” There were all kinds of problems. (Talk about pressure!) But the joy Paul felt in God was greater than all that. His hope was faith in the promises God had for his future, in what God would do. He had confidence in God. Even if Paul were to be put to death, God would continue to be with the church at Philippi. It’s never about what we do. It’s all about God.
Maybe you don’t feel into all the trappings of Christmas. Perhaps things in your life make it hard to look forward to anything. Paul reminds us that joy isn’t about our situation. It’s about celebrating what God did in coming to earth. It’s about rejoicing in God’s gifts to us in His Word and worship.
Paul was content, whatever God’s plan was. He could anticipate being with his friends in Philippi again or traveling more to spread the Good News of Jesus. Or if death was on the docket, he would accept that, too, knowing he would have eternity with his Lord and Savior, whom he first saw years before on that Road to Damascus. (Read about that HUGE change in Saul/Paul in Acts 9.)
No matter what, God has come for you. God loves you. He’ll help you through tough times and help you find joy in His coming. The baby who was born is also the Jesus who died and rose again, so you will live forever with Him. “He Who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ!” (Philippians 1:6)
Questions
- How can you set aside the stresses and worries that affect you and have joy in Jesus?
- What are five things you can thank God for today? (Challenge yourself to write down five things each day of Advent.)
Prayer
Dear Jesus, please give me faith like Paul had to trust You and find joy in You. Help me see the good in life and not just the bad. Help me anticipate being with You for all eternity, in Your time. I look forward to Your coming again! Amen.
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