On
the first Sunday of each New Year, I like to consider what message I
need spiritually to keep me motivated and on track for the coming year.
Lately, I have been reading St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I
have been meditating especially on Paul’s comment in chapter 4, where
he says, “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, I can do everything through Christ who gives me
strength.”
(Phil 4:12-13)
That final verse is a favorite for many: “I can
do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil
4:13)
This morning I want to focus on it and the secret that Paul is
referring to -- where he says that he learned the secret of being
content in any and every situation. I would like to try to spell out
this secret and apply it to our lives.
I also want to
recognize that this Sunday is referred to in the church calendar as
Epiphany Sunday. Epiphany means manifestation or revelation and it
refers to the fact that in the birth of Jesus, salvation was brought
not only to the Jews but also to the nations of the world. That’s why
the Wise Men came from the East -- to represent the gentiles in worship
of Christ.
More than anyone else, St. Paul was given the
assignment later to share the Christian message with non-Jews. Here is
how Paul described his call: Although I am less than the least of all
God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ. (Eph 3:8)
In this letter to the
Philippians, the mature Paul, the emotionally and spiritually developed
Paul, is writing and saying that Through the years he had learned the
secret that enabled him to face anything, to do all things through
Christ! What made Paul so patient? What made him so unflappable? How
was he able to take all things in stride?
As a thoughtful and
deeply spiritual man, Paul had developed a pattern of action- steps
that were a part of his secret. Here are seven of those
action-steps.
1. First, Paul was very aware of the primary purpose of his
life -- to know and love Christ.
Paul
says, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (3:8) . Through Christ, Paul received
insight, and guidance, and strength, and wisdom. Christ enabled him to
be content regardless of the circumstances.
What was the major
key for Paul? He knew that Jesus Christ was at hand. Right there with
him, promising never to leave him, never to forsake him. This would be
Paul’s advice to all of us: Remember this: The Lord is at hand!Let your
gentleness, your tolerance, patience, unflappability, be known to all,
the Lord . (Phil 4:5 ) is right there with you.
When I started
my ministry here last June I preached a couple of sermons on the
importance of learning to be WITH Christ, Like Christ, and For Christ.
During
the Lenten season which starts one month from now -- in the first week
of February -- I plan to do a nine-week teaching on my book, Developing
Intimacy with God: An Eight Week Prayer Guide Based on St. Ignatius’
Spiritual Exercises. The goal of the book is to help people develop
intimacy with God. In my mind, nothing in the world is of greater
importance. It is the primary purpose of life: to know and love God.
That’s the first key to Paul's secret.
2. Secondly, Paul worked at Developing the gifts that God had
given.
Paul
had been called to be the Apostle to non-Jews and there were countless
Gentiles -- people of all-nations -- out there that he had not yet
reached. Paul wrote: Not that I have already obtained all
this ,
or have already been made perfect, he writes, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (3:12)
You
can sense the focus, the intense determination, the drive of the great
apostle. God had given Paul an incredible rage of gifts and talents, so
that he could fulfill the demanding call that God had given him. And
God has given each of you gifts and talents and has equipped you with
everything you need to fulfill the call that he has on your lives. It’s
very important that you identify those gifts that God has given you and
develop them to the best of your ability.
I remember when
I first reported aboard a destroyer as a brand new Navy chaplain. The
man I was to relieve, BJ McKee, was a huge success with the men. When
he escorted me around the ship and walked into a compartment, the men
would all turn in his direction and smile, knowing that he would have a
good word for everyone and leave them laughing. What a gift he had for
bringing laughter and good cheer.
And then I took over. I was
friendly, but I couldn’t joke around and lift morale like BJ. Those
weren’t my gifts. I took the athletic approach. We would
steam
down to the Caribbean, and I would go snorkeling with the men, jogged
along the beach with them, worked out with them, I also
focused
on the worship services. I capitalized on my strengths and didn’t try
to be someone I wasn’t. I couldn’t compete with BJ. I had different
gifts. God used BJ with his gifts, and God used me according to the way
he had made me. Don’t imitate somebody else. Be the original that God
intended you to be.
And work on your strengths, not your
weaknesses. I heard somebody say, on a scale of 1 to 10, the most we
can ever improve is 2 or 3 numbers. For example, I would rate my
singing ability at about a four, and that's being gnerous.
When I
was in Manila, I decided to take voice lessons. I would practice the
scales, and I remember the kids going into their bedrooms and shutting
the doors to get away from the noise. I worked on my voice for a couple
of months, and it was obvious to everyone that I was going to be a long
time before I moved from 4 to 4 and ½. A six I would never be.
It’s
much smarter to work on that gift where you are already above average.
Who knows, maybe after a while you will be an 8 or a 9, maybe
even a ten. And then, use that gift to help people and fulfill the
callGod makes on your life -- with computers, or as a nurse, or as a
repair man, a manager, an office worker -- whatever God has gifted you
to do. Stay in your strength zone. Run your own race. Be the best that
you can be!
3. Prayer was very important.
Paul was
obviously a man of prayer and this had to be part of his secret. Again
and again he invites us to pray as in 4:6 -- Don’t
be
anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God
which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds.
Rather than being up tight, rather than being full of worry, here’s a
big part of Paul’s secret: turn to God in faith and pray.
In
addition to prayer, Paul urges us to think positively. Paul
loves
lists and he provides an important listing in this 4th
chapter.
He tells us what to program into our minds, into our thinking. Paul
says,
Phil. 4:8 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
If you will meditate on the
life of Christ, you will be thinking about that which is true, noble,
right, pure, lovely and admirable. That is the key to developing
intimacy with God, meditating on the character qualities, the virtues,
the attitudes of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospels.
Don’t
waste your time thinking about people who have mistreated you, people
who have falsely accused you, people who have misunderstood you. Paul
says, Forget the things that are behind. Don’t let bitterness get a
grip on you and poison your mind. Instead, pray for people ho have
offended you, and then focus on that which is admirable, that which is
worthy of praise.
4. Fourth, Relationships with
people are very important. I have always been impressed with the way
Paul begins chapter 4. He writes, Therefore, my brothers, you
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown . . . stand firm in the Lord.
We’re
talking here about the second commandment. “Love your neighbor as
yourself.” (Mk 12:31) Love God and love your neighbor and you have
covered almost everything else.
What gives Paul special pleasure
is his relationship with these Philippians. He calls them his joy and
his crown because they, more than any other church, shared in his
troubles. All the other churches somehow forgot Paul when he ended up
in Caesar’s palace prison. Not the Philippians. The Philippians stuck
with him. They sent gifts to him again and again.
And Paul was
grateful. He had this special relationship with these people
and
he was not hesitant to tell them how much he loved them.
But a fifth secret that Paul practiced was this:
5. He was fully aware of and looked forward to the Life to
Come.
It is far better to be with Christ, he wrote..
Paul
insisted that, We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ
lives. (3:20).That’s why most of us feel unsettled and dissatisfied
with life on this earth-- Even here in Paris, or in some of the most
lovely neighborhoods in Europe, or the most attractive cities in the
US, or Asia. Life in this world always carries with it some
irritant, some discomfort, something annoying. It’s because God does
not want us to become overly attached to this world. We’re not
completely happy here because we were not created to live here forever.
This is not our final home. We were created for something much better.
As
Paul says elsewhere: The things we see now are here today, gone
tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. (2Cor 4:18)
What
happens when you live with the awareness that you are going to spend
eternity in heaven? Your values change. Your priorities are reordered.
You use your time and money more wisely. You begin to value
relationships and character more highly. Keeping up with
trends
and fashions just doesn’t matter nearly as much. Fame and wealth and
achievements are not as important.
That’s because heaven is
where we truly belong. That is where we will feel at home. That is
where we will be reunited with loved ones who are believers, --released
from sickness and suffering, --rewarded for the good things we did on
earth, --reassigned to engage in projects that we will enjoy doing. We
will enjoy continuous fellowship with God, and he will enjoy us for an
unlimited, endless forever.
6. Trials were part of Paul's secret of learning to stay
content.
Bringing
the light of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, Paul faced tremendous
opposition from his Jewish brothers. Paul describes some of
that
suffering in 2 Corinthians:
24 Five times I received from the
Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten
with
rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night
and a day in the open sea, 26 I have
been constantly on the
move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in
danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in
the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger
from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have
often
gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone
without food; I have been cold and naked.
We pastors here at
the American Church in Paris also have hardships that we have to
endure. Last week we had to go without hot showers for a few
days. I complained about that. Then I reread Paul’s list of suffering,
and I was ashamed of myself.
Paul believed that trials build
character (“Everyone needs to be a POW for one year!); trials test our
character (John McCain and his rejection of the offer for early
release)/ Trials help us realize that we can survive. Listen again to
his words: 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.
Paul knows how to eat lobster and fillet mignon
and not feel guilty about it. And he also had plenty of practice eating
prison food. He can ejoy a leisurely hot bath and he can also dash in
and out of a cold shower. He can take everything in stride because
Jesus Christ is alongside him and strengthens him.
7. Paul tried to be a positive and thankful person in all
circumstances.
One
of his favorite words was Rejoice! As in Phil 4:4 Rejoice in
the
Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! What a great emphasis as you
get close to the end of life. That’s the way I want to go. I
pray
that I will not be a mean, old man -- crabby, complaining, finding
fault with the world and with people.
How sad to meet people who
look so well off, who smile at you and greet you warmly. But
as
soon as you go below the surface with them, they want to tell you
what’s wrong with politicians, what’s wrong with the television, what's
wrong with the people around them. They are full of criticism
and
disapproval, resentment and bitterness. And it is hard to turn them
off. You really don’t want to hear all of this negativity, but it pours
out. And you say to yourself, “I hope that I don’t end up that way.”
Gratitude
and joy! Those should be the keynotes of our lives. May everyone of us
be able to say: “I can live in plenty, or I can live in want.” I can
keep life in balance. I can be unflappable because of Jesus
Christ. He is my secret. He is always with me. Always at
hand. I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me. Amen!
