Revd Len Abrams Philippians 4:4-9
Resources to face adversity
Introduction
Today we look at one of my favourite passages in the Bible. It is also intriguing that, although this passage was set for today months ago, it fits so well into the concerns of the moment when we are all worried about a new global threat, the Corona virus.
I want to unpick what Paul is saying to the Philippians for us today, because I think it speaks into our situation in a special way and provides insights into a way of living which is counterintuitive in our modern world. Whilst we await with great uncertainty what will emerge with the Coronavirus, and all sorts of preparations are being made all around us, let us also prepare ourselves spiritually for what is to come …..
Rejoice
To begin with, let us get a picture of Paul’s situation as it was when he wrote this letter. He was in prison in Rome – the most brutal prison you can imagine today would be like a four star hotel compared to Paul’s situation. He was expecting to die and tradition has it that in the end he was beheaded. And yet, in our passage today, written from within that context, Paul says “Rejoice in the Lord always.” and then reemphasises this “I will say it again: Rejoice!”.
How does he do that? What does it mean to “Rejoice” – Does it mean to be happy and smiley and to jump around in a state of euphoria? Partially, but it is much deeper than that – the root of the word rejoice is JOY. Joy is given new meaning for Christians by Jesus. In John 15:11 Jesus says in the middle of the farewell discourse before he was crucified “These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” This is the joy of the soul – it is the joy of abiding in Christ and having Christ abiding in you. It is knowing who you really are – that you are held in the eternal hand of God, loved, ultimately safe, and whole. Joy is a response to a reality which is not shaken by what is happening in the world around us; joy gives us the strength to engage positively in the world, irrespective of what is happening. This is not artificial joy of our own making, conjured up to make us feel good – this is God’s joy within us…. “that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
“Gentleness”
Let your gentleness be known to all – We do not know all the implications of what is coming towards us right now. There is a temptation to become rattled, to hunker down and go into self-protection mode where it is ‘me-and-mine’ against the rest – so get to the supermarket and get those provisions and toilet rolls and everyone else is a competitor to be beaten! But Paul says the opposite – it is at times like this that we need to show the world and each other that there is a different way. The translation “gentleness” is weak here – the Greek term is stronger – it denotes generosity towards others, magnanimity or consideration of others. We need to radiate generosity and magnanimity to others, especially at times like these.
“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything”
Then Paul says don’t worry! This from a highly vulnerable person in imminent danger. Paul is echoing Jesus as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 6 vs 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
My daughter is a Clinical Psychologist with the NHS – she confirms this perspective. Fear is a necessary reality in our lives to alert us to danger and the need to plan and ensure our safety through the responses of ‘fight’ or ‘flight’. Without fear and the ability to translate it into action, our forbearers would all have been eaten by sabre-toothed tigers! Worrying though is different and is not healthy from a mental health perspective. Often it is a retreat into a comfort zone of inaction and can lead to irrational fear and debilitating incapacity.
I have had personal experience of this through clinical depression which is an all too prevalent condition in our society. One of the tell-tale symptoms is the three dreaded “Rs” – Rumination, Recrimination [self-recrimination] and repetition – when these three start revolving in your head at two in the morning they will take you to deep, dark and painful places and make you very unwell, believe me, to the point of despairing of life itself.
Our Lord asks “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” This is the worrying and anxiousness which Paul is talking about in Philippians 4. We must not let worry cripple us – instead we need to assess the situation, taken note of the dangers and take them to God in prayer. This is NOT saying we do not need to take all necessary precautions and follow guidelines such as social distance etc.
Peace of God
Intentionally and consciously refusing the path of anxiousness and instead taking our concerns to God in prayer results in the presence of God’s peace. This needs to be understood – the peace of God is no mere absence of strife. It is Shalom – which denotes wholeness, wellbeing, ultimate security, harmony with God, harmony with those around us, and harmony with ourselves. It is another ‘big’ word like Joy. God’s peace is in fact beyond our understanding – we mortals, we finite beings are not capable of getting our minds around it.
Guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This though is not the peace of a comfortable country garden – Paul uses military language to describe how God’s peace will “guard” our hearts and minds in the midst of danger and turmoil. We do not need to go down the road of despair and worry when the news is bad or there is imminent danger. We need to take hold of that peace and let it guard our hearts and minds.
Whatever is true . . .
This brings me to another example of congruence of Paul’s letter with modern psychology – Paul gives us positive examples of what we should intentionally fill our minds with – “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable….” In my fight with depression, one of the tools suggested by therapists is CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This basically means intentionally training yourself to focus on real, positive perspectives rather than allowing oneself to be pulled down by the negative cycle of the dreaded Rs of rumination, recrimination and repetition. I am not talking here of the cult of positive thinking – Paul is talking about focusing on these things “—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things!”
It is especially important in difficult times like we are now facing with uncertainty and threat, that we must be careful what we allow to capture our thoughts – we need to ask ourselves what is true in what we hear; what is noble rather than petty and self-seeking; what is right to do to others, especially the vulnerable and marginalised; what is pure and not warped by ulterior motives; what promotes love and care; what leads others to admire and want to emulate what we do in the midst of difficulty. These are the things we must think about, not what will cripple us with worry and anxiety, whilst having eyes wide open to the realities facing us.
Put it into practice
Finally, Paul says “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” What this means for us today, I think, is that we have, many of us, been Christians for many years. We had been taught all these things through all these years from within this church and other churches, through home groups and courses, through our own reading of the Bible and from Christian friends. Now, when there are threats abroad, now we must put it into practice! Throughout the Gospels there is a sense of immediacy – NOW IS THE TIME!
The God of peace will be with you.
We are not alone. In verse 7 Paul says that the peace of God will be with us. In verse 9 Paul reverses this and says that the God of peace will be with us. Jesus is the source of the living water who will refresh us, in whom we have confidence no matter what comes.
Action
A number of people, including your Church Wardens and some members of the PCC, began a discussion late last week as to how we could join with members of the South Nutfield community to prepare for the virus. This would include everyone from inside the church community and outside it, to begin to make plans how to identify and care for the most vulnerable and those who may find themselves self-isolating. This should include pooling information from everywhere – the pub, the shop, the school, the church, existing groups etc. It should include how we protect people from being taken advantage of. I suggest that we take courage from what we have learned from Paul this morning and put love into action.
AMEN
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Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.