Trinity Sunday – June 11, 2017
Restoring the Joy #8
Learn TheSecret of Joyful Living
Philippians 4:10-13
Alleluia, the Christ is Risen! (He is risen indeed. Alleluia!)
Dear brothers and sisters in our Risen Savior,
You might think it strange that I would start today’s message with the victory cheer from Easter. After all, Easter was two months ago! But I wanted to remind you that his victory over death is for every day, not just Easter Day. And our source of joy for every day is all wrapped up in the fact the Jesus rose from the dead. But just like Easter is fading from our memory for another year, so our joy in Jesus can fade too when we have to deal with all the troubles of life.
Recall last week, when we talked about some of those joy robbers. First, the troubles and hardships that attack us personally. Then all the evils and wickedness that bombard the whole world. And when we try to deal with all that, anxiety and stress attack us on the inside. And now St. Paul tackles one of the biggest joy robbers of all, one that goes to the heart of the American dream. And that joy robber is Discontent.
This joy robber is a sneaky invisible enemy, which goes right to our hearts and souls. Discontent is being dissatisfied with our place in life, being unhappy about what we have or don’t have. It’s this constant desire to have bigger, better, faster, shinier and newer. And discontentment is a sin that seeks to rob us of all joy.
Let’s think about where you live for a moment. Let’s say you’d love to own your own home but just can’t afford it. Discontent. But now those of you who have your own home, when you first got it, didn’t you think: “Alright now I’ve made it! I have what I wanted. I am now content.” But then a year later you visit your friend’s brand new home, and you think:“Wow, those bedrooms are huge! And the way the kitchen is set up. I didn’t know that the main bathroom and closet could be the size of a small, European country.”Discontent. Or six months ago, you got the latest iphone 7 and it is great. But soon iphone 8 will come out, and then 9 and then 10. You see, Apple makes a fortune over the fact that many people always want the best, the latest, with all those new features! Now ask yourself, how much do you really need it? But we always want more!
So, instead of joy, we have discontent.And the only thing that can counteract that is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to arrest that joy robber and haul him out of the houses of our hearts and throw him in jail where he belongs. And this is the Word of God that Paul is bringing us today in his joyful letter to the Philippians. Paul is going to share with us a secret that he has learned, and he wants us to learn it too. Through the Word of God, let’s
Learn the Secret of Joyful Living
What’s the opposite of discontent? It’s being content. That’s such a difficult state to reach that Paul calls that a secret! I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. In Greek, he says: I am initiating you in the mysteries. Remember, he is talking to people of Philippi, in northern Greece. They were very familiar with the old Greek mystery religions. These were religions that had their secret teachings and secret ceremonies. We still don’t know too much about them because they were secret! He takes that pagan word, about being initiated in the mysteries, and applies it to our life in Christ. To the rest of the world, it’s a mystery that Jesus is the key to our joy and contentment. The world can only conceive of contentment in the form of earthly things or relationships. Paul had been there, done that. He’s found something better, and the secret is this: it’s not something, it’s a Someone.
Let’s look at his train of thought. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. Paul is rejoicing about something, and it’s about how the Philippians not only were concerned for him, but showed their concern by their actions. He has been under arrest for years, first in Israel and now in Rome. The Philippians could finally do something to help him while he awaited trial before Caesar. Likely, it was some money to help take care of his physical needs. So he is joyfully thanking them, and he continues: I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
Paul wants them to know that the reason he brings this up is not because he’s trying to get more stuff from them. “It’s great that you sent gifts to help me. But I have learned to be content, no matter what the situation.” When it comes to earthly blessings, Paul had experienced both ends of the spectrum. He grew up in a privileged type of family that had plenty. As a young man, he was upper class, a respected member of an elite group of Jewish leaders. But then Paul became a Christian. He began to follow Jesus and share the Gospel and start churches. That spelled the end to his life of luxury. And now, as he’s under house-arrest in the city of Rome, he has almost nothing at all. Paul understands what it’s like to be rich, because at one time he was. And understands what it’s like to be poor, because he is. So he has learned through experience and he wants us to learn too!
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. Contentment is a state of mind, an attitude. It’s not something you do, but something you have on the inside. The word that Paul uses for contentment was the key concept from the Greek philosophy of Stoicism. For a Stoic, it meant self-sufficiency or a self-assuredness, as Paul explains, in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. To put this word into popular terms, it’s the same as self-esteem. The goal for contentment in the world is to have a good opinion of yourself, no matter what the circumstances. Even if you’ve failed miserably and people let you know it, you’re still content with yourself. You have a high regard for yourself, no matter what other people think. You have self-esteem.
So in the secular world, if you don’t have self-esteem, you need to get it somehow. So let’s try to manufacture itartificially. Everyone on all the teams gets a trophy, because you’re all winners! Even if you lost. As adults, don’t feel good about yourself? Then go out and buy something! Get that new car, or buy that expensive dress. That’ll solve the problem! Does that make us content? Perhaps for all of 10 minutes.
You see, all those things are just a cover-up over the fact that we have all failed. We don’t have what it takes to be content and happy and self-secure, not on our own. Our source for contentment needs to come from someplace else besides ourselves. It can only come from Christ. That’s the secret. It’s not self-esteem, but I’d call it Christ-esteem. True contentment and confidence is based on Christ. Because Jesus took our place on the cross, we are no longer miserable sinners who have messed up our lives. We are redeemed children of our heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit has made us a new creation. The Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit, has done it all for us! Because of Jesus, I can feel good about myself, and be content, no matter what happens.
That sounds simplistic enough, so simple that we think it doesn’t work. After all, you believe in Jesus as your Savior, and you still get discontented all the time! That’s because we still have the worldly sinful nature dragging us down.
So Paul’s gives us the key for his secret of joyful living. This special passage is well-known and a favorite of many people and it is this: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. This verse has been used to make some pretty mighty earthly promises. You can succeed in everything you do. You can do it, through Jesus. You can be anything you want, you can solve every problem, make your life wonderful: just go to Jesus for strength.
But that’s not what Paul is promising here. It actually doesn’t say in the original “I can do everything.” That’s why the newer translation is more accurate: I can do all this (be content in every circumstance) through him who gives me strength. And to translate it literally from the Greek: In all of this, I am strong in the one who strengthens me. That gives it a different twist, doesn’t it!! Paul is saying: Hey, Philippians, I am under arrest in Rome. I can’t come to see you. In all this bad stuff, I am going to be spiritually strong, it’s not going to get me down, or get me discontented or get me suicidal or depressed. Because I have the strength of Jesus to keep me strong, when things are tough.” And that secret changes our lives. That’s the secret of joyful living. It’s all based in the strength of Jesus in our weakness. Because of him, I can be joyful and content, no matter what!
So what is making you feel bad about yourself? Are you upset with yourself because you’ve really messed up your life, or have done something so wrong that it looks like everything is ruined? There is only one who can take that sin and guilt away, and that’s the Lord. . No matter who you are, or what you have done, you can look at the cross of Christ and see your sins wiped out. Today you are coming to his Holy Supper and he assures you personally that your sins are forgiven.
Do you lack confidence and contentment because you just failed in your family, you have hurt someone with your words, with anger instead of love, with selfishness instead of self-sacrifice? Don’t try to manufacture it by saying: “My teacher says that I’m the best, or my boss or my mom says I’m the best.” After all there can only be one best. We are rarely #1 in anything we do. And self-esteem goes down the tubes if it depends on self. But in Christ, you can say: “I will never be best, never be perfect this side of heaven. But because of Jesus, I am a child of God. That’s all that really matters.” And when you have that attitude, that mindset, no matter what the world throws at you, you know who you are. And that, my friends, is the secret of joyful living. Amen.