Many of us, myself included, just returned from a Spring Break vacation. Fun, restful, playful, and refreshing time away. Somewhere warm, good food to eat, no people to interact with, nowhere to be, and no deadlines to meet… but that vacation eventually comes to an end. Something my wife and I do inadvertently towards the end of a vacation, is start talking about the next vacation. We enjoy the one we’re on, no doubt, but the vacation crash hits, and we start looking forward to the next one…no matter how far away it may be.
The human in all of us has a hard time not looking for the greener grass, the next new thing or vacation, the years of retirement, the sound of the Amazon delivery truck trundling down the drive, the new car, the new job, the better home, and how we might spend our time next weekend. The reality is, the sinful nature that is in all of us makes those insatiable pursuits unavoidable. We crave the NEXT thing, or happening, that will hopefully satisfy us. Perhaps it’s a political candidate that soothes our souls for a moment, a bump in the stock market that calms our panic for the future, or we hit a life benchmark that we planned and prepared for. Nevertheless, we are left empty, wanting more, and chasing after what we hope is better. I’m not saying that any of these things are bad, in fact many are good, however, the posture of our hearts in relation to these things is where we go wrong.
We can fill our lives with the “next” things and be the happiest people in the world, but at the same time be the most discontented and joyless people. Joy is not happiness. Joy is not a smile on your face. Joy is not things in life going well. Joy is not the next vacation. Joy is not the successful investment. Joy is not the new job. Joy is not the happy family. Joy is not a win or a loss. BUT… Joy is confidence and contentment in Christ. Joy is singing and writing with Paul in the prison cell. Joy is knowing you are chosen, kept, and loved by God. Joy is not impacted by your next vacation or socio-economic standing. Joy can abound in seasons of blessing and plenty, and joy can abound in seasons of need and brokenness.
Joy is, in the heartbeat of Philippians 1:14, that now more than ever, we boldly and fearlessly be saturated in the Word of God, share the Word of God, and live a life joyfully contented in the Gospel! A heart of joy is the fuel we need and the gift we receive in boldly proclaiming the “word” - That is the Gospel. Walter Hansen writes:
“Many words can be spoken in human discourse without the slightest risk or need for courage. But speaking this particular word—a Christ-centered word—always requires courage. The message of Christ’s humble obedience unto death on a cross (2:8) strikes a blow at every proud heart. The message of Christ’s exaltation to be the universal Lord over all creation (2:9–11) requires every knee to bow before him. Anyone who dares to speak this word outside the church, outside the comfortable circle of Christian admirers, will be inspired by Paul’s courageous witness when he was chained to the emperor’s bodyguard. Ever since Paul, the courage of faithful witnesses for Christ has ignited courage in the hearts of other witnesses.”[1]
It's not an easy word to share, but it is indeed a life-giving word, a joy-producing word, a confidence-cultivating word, and a soul-satisfying word. It is a word with the power to reach anyone and everyone!
[1] G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009), 70–71.
The human in all of us has a hard time not looking for the greener grass, the next new thing or vacation, the years of retirement, the sound of the Amazon delivery truck trundling down the drive, the new car, the new job, the better home, and how we might spend our time next weekend. The reality is, the sinful nature that is in all of us makes those insatiable pursuits unavoidable. We crave the NEXT thing, or happening, that will hopefully satisfy us. Perhaps it’s a political candidate that soothes our souls for a moment, a bump in the stock market that calms our panic for the future, or we hit a life benchmark that we planned and prepared for. Nevertheless, we are left empty, wanting more, and chasing after what we hope is better. I’m not saying that any of these things are bad, in fact many are good, however, the posture of our hearts in relation to these things is where we go wrong.
We can fill our lives with the “next” things and be the happiest people in the world, but at the same time be the most discontented and joyless people. Joy is not happiness. Joy is not a smile on your face. Joy is not things in life going well. Joy is not the next vacation. Joy is not the successful investment. Joy is not the new job. Joy is not the happy family. Joy is not a win or a loss. BUT… Joy is confidence and contentment in Christ. Joy is singing and writing with Paul in the prison cell. Joy is knowing you are chosen, kept, and loved by God. Joy is not impacted by your next vacation or socio-economic standing. Joy can abound in seasons of blessing and plenty, and joy can abound in seasons of need and brokenness.
Joy is, in the heartbeat of Philippians 1:14, that now more than ever, we boldly and fearlessly be saturated in the Word of God, share the Word of God, and live a life joyfully contented in the Gospel! A heart of joy is the fuel we need and the gift we receive in boldly proclaiming the “word” - That is the Gospel. Walter Hansen writes:
“Many words can be spoken in human discourse without the slightest risk or need for courage. But speaking this particular word—a Christ-centered word—always requires courage. The message of Christ’s humble obedience unto death on a cross (2:8) strikes a blow at every proud heart. The message of Christ’s exaltation to be the universal Lord over all creation (2:9–11) requires every knee to bow before him. Anyone who dares to speak this word outside the church, outside the comfortable circle of Christian admirers, will be inspired by Paul’s courageous witness when he was chained to the emperor’s bodyguard. Ever since Paul, the courage of faithful witnesses for Christ has ignited courage in the hearts of other witnesses.”[1]
It's not an easy word to share, but it is indeed a life-giving word, a joy-producing word, a confidence-cultivating word, and a soul-satisfying word. It is a word with the power to reach anyone and everyone!
[1] G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009), 70–71.