IN THE LORD . . . key words.  Philippians 4.1-4

Daniel Szakalski was red-headed, skinny, freckle-faced and a bit of a rapscallion in class.  Personally, I thought he was adorable, but I could tell by the way his mom cozied up to me on the first day of school, I just might have my hands full, having her fourth grade son in my class.  It was many years ago now, but the reason I recall him so keenly, is because I remember when he found his love for reading and the lights came on . . . well, as his teacher, what a joy!  In small part, that is what Paul is referencing when he calls his brothers ‘his joy and crown’.  From far away and in prison, with joy in his heart, and a gleam in his eye, he is proud of the young believers for ‘sticking’ with Christ, for standing IN THE LORD.  “So then, my brothers, whom I love and yearn for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.”  Philippians 4.1

Paul admonished them, ‘stand fast in the Lord’.  What’s your story right now?  Are you worried about pending medical results?  Awaiting a callback from a would-be employer?  ‘Overwhelmed with worry about your teen-ager?  Are you a new Christian convert in a Muslim country, wondering what will be your fate—joy in your own heart, yet already despised by your family?  Picture with me Paul, composing these thoughts from his heart to yours--‘Stand firm . . . let nothing throw you off course!’  With love in my heart, with compassion in my chest, I say the same to you, ‘Do not give up hope … nothing has caught God off guard. He sees you, he loves you.’ 

I closeted myself the other night, trying to be out of earshot from my family—where else?  Yes, in my closet.  I had only recently met this young man at the gym, but took an instant liking to him…yet I know he is in the battle of his lifetime.  ‘You have to memorize Scripture and change your thinking—right now,’ I said into the phone.  ‘Don’t you see, the thoughts you have—the thoughts you are letting run through your mind, have the chance to take you back to a place you do not want to go!  The enemy will take you down, if you do not take your thoughts captive now,’ I said to the young man, about 24, with a checkered past, beset by nightmares and treacherous thoughts by day.

What else could I give him?  There is nothing greater than the strength of the Word of God.  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1.9.  Write it down, carry it with you, memorize it—or as Paul said, ‘Stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.’

Our only port in the storm is to be in the lord; our only hope in the face of temptation, is to be in the lord . . .

‘And how about in times of disunity or times of discord?  Even then, or is it, especially then—we must be in the lord.  Remember, Paul called us (Christians/believers/followers of Christ, pick the one you like) to ‘be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind’, back in chapter two of Philippians.  Now take a look at specifics here:  I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.  In reality, in life, there will be differences . . . there will be differences of opinion; but in the Lord, we must reconcile.  In order to reconcile and be reconciled, humility is required of us . . . true?  Of course TRUE!  Why would Paul ‘call out’ these two women whose names we are hard pressed to pronounce?  Several reasons—they mattered, he loved them, he loved the body of believers, and he knew that discord could disrupt the work of the Lord. 

While Paul pleads and urges Euodia and Syntyche to get along, to the Philippians as a whole, he gives a clear command:   rejoice in the lord.         Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  What does Paul mean by always, and how can he say such a thing?  ‘Always’ means all the time, anywhere and everywhere, no matter the circumstances.  He could command it of other believers because he demanded it of himself.  Paul rejoiced in the Lord, by intention, regardless of his personal circumstances.

There is another side to this in the lord thing—when we choose to be in the Lord, we are God’s joy and crown; when we choose to be in the Lord, he makes all things right; when we live our lives in the Lord, we can and are able to rejoice in the Lord, no matter the circumstances.  And that’s the truth.  I know.

Grace and Peace to you,

Christine