Watching the summer Olympics, it is clear that only a few will receive medals. Many more go home empty handed. I wonder if they ever feel sorry for themselves not standing on the winner’s podium. I know that every now and again when I don’t realize my goals, the enemy of my soul tries to make me feel sorry for myself. When that happens, the Holy Spirit often redirects me to the Letter to the Philippians.
Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians from prison and probably had every reason to feel sorry for himself. Yet it isn’t self-pity which permeates the pages of Philippians, it is joy. Sixteen times in four short chapters Paul mentions joy or rejoicing.
The reason Paul is so joyful is that he’s so full of Christ. In addition to the many mentions of joy in those four short chapters, there are more than 40 mentions of our Savior. Forty-plus times in 104 verses Paul refers to our Savior either by His name, Jesus, or His title, Christ, or a combination of the two.
There is more “Jesus per square inch” in Philippians than there is in any other book of the Bible. It is only because Paul is revolving around Jesus that the JOY springs forth. Paul doesn’t see Jesus in the heavenlies, as he did in Ephesians, sitting at the place of all authority and power. Paul sees the all-sufficiency of Christ in day-by-day living.
Each of the chapters in Philippians presents a picture of what Jesus is to us in our everyday life. Chapter 1 speaks of Christ our life. Chapter 2 outlines Christ our mind. In Chapter 3 we see Christ as our goal. And last, in Chapter 4, Christ is our strength.
Our life, our mind, our goal, and our strength; Jesus is all sufficient for every part of our lives. Amen!
