Philippians: Choose Joy

It was a beautiful day in the Hundred-Acre Wood. As Pooh and Piglet approached a bridge to play their favorite game called Poohsticks, they saw someone’s tail sticking out from under the overpass. It looked like Tigger’s tail, and sure enough, it was. Why was Tigger hiding under the bridge?

“Eeyore said that nice weather like this is earthquake weather!” Tigger said. “He said the Hundred-Acre Wood might have an earthquake today. I’m staying here until it’s over!”

Eeyore’s earthquake forecast bothered the three friends deeply. Eventually, Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger ran into their friend, Christopher Robin, who straightened out the whole misunderstanding. 

“There’s no such thing as earthquake weather,” said Christopher Robin. “Eeyore is just being gloomy again.” Relieved by Christopher Robin’s soothing words, the three friends went looking for Eeyore. In Be Happy, Eeyore, A.A. Milne writes,

"Pooh led the way to the gloomy place where Eeyore lived. There they found him nibbling some thistles. “You said there was going to be an earthquake, Eeyore!” Tigger said. 'You’ve spoiled our whole day!' 'Why are you always so gloomy about things?' asked Piglet. 'It’s nicer to be happy than gloomy,' said Pooh. 'Perhaps it is,' Eeyore agreed. 'But I don’t know how to be happy. Nobody ever showed me.'"

Like Eeyore, do you feel gloomy today? Is everything around you a dark cloud? Is joy far removed from your experience? Our next stop on the ultimate road trip through the Bible—Paul’s letter to the Philippians—will show you how to choose joy and embrace a positive outlook on life. 

Joy is a choice! I know because Philippians is one of four epistles Paul wrote from prison, which is a dark, gloomy place. And yet, the word “rejoice,” or some form of it, appears seven times in Philippians, a New Testament letter with only four chapters that overflows with positivity and a glass-half-full outlook. That is only possible because Paul, while in prison, chose joy. In 4:4, he writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice.” 

Even James, Jesus’s half-brother, writes to people in dire straits and says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). The joy of the Lord is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). With the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help, you really can choose joy, no matter the circumstances you face in life.

The Church at Philippi

The Apostle Paul founded the church at Philippi during his second missionary journey. Beyond the letter, Acts 16 records most of what we know about the church, including three significant events associated with its founding. They include the conversion of a prominent businesswoman named Lydia, the exorcism of a demon-possessed girl, and the dramatic release of Paul and Silas from prison after an earthquake shook the jail doors open at midnight.

During Paul’s imprisonment, the Philippian believers sent Epaphroditus to Rome to encourage Paul. In turn, Paul sent Timothy, his ministry protégé, to Philippi to encourage them (2:19-30). The church was most likely a small congregation with meager means, making their financial gift to Paul’s ministry even more worthy of his gratitude.

Generally, the imprisoned apostle wrote this letter to thank the Philippians for their generous gift to his ministry (4:10-20), to expose his enemies who opposed the gospel he preached (1:15-17; 1:27-28; 3:2; 3:18-19), and to quiet a rift between two women in the church (4:2-3). 

To Live Is Christ

Joy and gratitude are never far apart, which is why Paul begins his letter by thanking God for the Philippians. Quickly, he offers an encouraging word: “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6). Paul’s positive outlook on their future life in Christ fills their hearts with courage.

Paul did not let his chains defeat him (1:12-14), critics dissuade him (1:15-18), or crisis discourage him (1:19-26). Referring to his imprisonment, he writes, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (1:12). The fact that his negative circumstances positively impacted the gospel brought the apostle comfort and joy. Though in prison and with his life draped in uncertainty, Paul expressed his confidence that “Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:20-21). 

To die is gain? Joy is not only a choice, but it yields a positive outlook on this life and beyond. Attitude is everything, and it made a huge difference in the way Paul navigated his difficult circumstances. Attitude really does determine one’s altitude. About attitude, Charles Swindoll writes,

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It’s more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change that certain people will act in a certain way. The only thing we can do is play the one string that we have, and that string is attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so, it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”

Descending into Greatness

Nothing filled Paul’s heart with joy more than the unifying aspects of the gospel. He begins chapter 2 with these words, 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 2:1-4

High and lofty are Paul’s aspirations for the Philippians and us. How do we live up to the apostle’s soaring rhetoric? Paul immediately sets forth the example and exaltation of Jesus Christ. Let’s read on.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 2:5-11

Paul describes how Jesus Christ descended into greatness through humility. The Greek word kenosis (“emptied”) refers to the way Jesus laid aside the full privileges of His deity. The Savior did not cease to be God in any way, nor did He empty Himself of His divine attributes (Colossians 2:9). But He did not always draw upon the fullness of His divine power. Sometimes He chose to operate within the limits of His humanity. For example, He grew tired and thirsty. He chose to be born “in the likeness of men” and became “obedient to the point of death.” 

Also, Jesus did not present Himself as one would expect of deity. He served others instead of expecting others to serve Him. For these reasons and more, God the Father highly exalted His Son, giving Him “the name that is above every name”—a name to which “every knee should bow.” 

Paul continues by encouraging the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” and “do all things without grumbling and disputing” (2:12-16). Then, he invites them to rejoice with him, even if he is “poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith” (2:17). 

The Upward Call of God

As he begins chapter 3, Paul continues to express his joy and encourages the Philippians to do the same. “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you” (3:1). Then, he warns the Philippians about joy-stealers who might lead them astray (3:1-3). He instructs them to conduct a thorough audit of their lives (4-6), ledger their worldly gains into the loss column (3:7), and cling to eternal values (3:8-11).     

Paul counted as loss everything that he gained before he met Christ. He expressed his deep desire to “know him and the power of his resurrection” and that he “may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (3:10). Do you want to know Christ enough to share in His pain, despise, rejection, and death? A deeper fellowship with Jesus awaits those who do. Then, the humble apostle encourages the Philippians and us to reach for the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 3:12-14

Too many of us live below our exalted position in Christ. We reach for things in life that are temporal, not eternal, earthly, not heavenly, downward, not upward. We set goals, even achieve them, that are not worthy of the exalted Christ. 

Instead, we must live the upward life in response to the call of God and His claim upon our lives as believers in Jesus Christ. Such a life has direction (upward), and nearly always changes our trajectory. How do we live that way? 

The Apostle Paul remained teachable (“not that I have already obtained this”), disciplined (“I press on”), focused (“this one thing I do”), and goal-oriented (“I press on toward the goal”). He also adopted a winner’s mindset by doing everything “to win the prize.” Choose to live this way and you too will experience joy, even in adverse circumstances. 

Positively Content

In the final chapter of the letter, the word “rejoice” appears three times (4:4, 10). Joy exudes Paul’s thinking as he notes “the Lord is at hand” (4:5). Therefore, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (4:6). Joyful people are not anxious; they also discipline their minds.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.4:8

What is your mind dwelling on today? The old saying is true: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

After expressing his gratitude for their generous gift to his ministry, Paul launches into a short course on contentment. Joyful people also learn contentment. 

For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 4:11-13

Contentment does not come to us naturally; we must learn it. Paul writes, “I have learned” twice. In the same way that I learned high school chemistry, through a lecture and a lab, we must learn contentment through a sermon and the laboratory of life, where we experience times of prosperity and seasons of financial adversity. In both circumstances, we learn that the power of Christ is sufficient and that “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (4:19). 

The Apostle Paul was nothing like negative, gloomy Eeyore. At times, he might have felt like he was eating thistles, but the sky was always blue for Paul because he chose joy and kept his eye on the eternal prize that awaits those who serve Christ faithfully.