Philippians 1:1-11

Be still: Lord help me cut out the distractions of the world to encounter you in your Word. Amen

Read: Philippians 1:1-11

I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (vv 3–6)

Encounter: I am prone to mood swings! Some days I wake up feeling great. The sun is out, I slept well, and I am whistling 'God you’re so good' while getting ready. Then disaster strikes: we’ve run out of milk for my morning tea! Suddenly, deep despair at the end of the world sets in. I’m exaggerating a little, but my mood can be determined by milk!

In part, that is why I am challenged by Philippians. A major theme of this letter is joy. The word itself appears 15 times yet permeates every pen stroke. More astounding is that Paul is not writing from a paradise island sipping a cocktail but from a prison cell, chained up because of his proclamation of the Gospel. Life left much to be desired for Paul, yet he has resilient joy.

Perhaps the reason is his message. The 15 mentions of ‘joy’ are eclipsed by the 40 mentions of ‘Jesus’.

While not at liberty to preach the Gospel, Paul is still captivated by it. His circumstances have changed, but his focus hasn’t. His attention remains fixed on Christ, and it produces a resilient joy in him. Joy is Paul’s feeling because Jesus is Paul’s focus.

Notably, Paul is not just focused on what Jesus has done but what Jesus is doing and will do. In the church at Philippi, Paul sees God at work and, by faith, what is still to come. The God who began the work, will complete it.

Perhaps there is a principle for us here: our focus feeds our feelings, so there is an urgent need to ask God to fix our focus. It is so easy to allow our joy to rise and fall with our circumstances: a good day, a bad day, plenty of milk, no milk! But Philippians challenges us to lift our eyes from our surroundings and onto our Saviour: on all Jesus has done, is doing, and, by faith, is yet to do.

Apply: Close your eyes and ask Jesus to open them to see him again.

Devote: God, please fix my focus.