Title: Reflection and Joy
look back and joy
2006-07-12
Philippians 2:4
I. Text Commentary
II. path of joy
The Apostle Paul exhorts these Philippians, who are no less than his flock, to do two things in order to live a life full of joy.
A. Take a look at your work
First, take a look at your work. The word 'to look after' is a word that means to care for something with care and affection. That is why the Apostle Paul instructs the Philippian church members to look around with caution and affection. When a car accident occurs, the driver tries to protect himself first. It is a natural instinct for humans to look after themselves. Thus, human beings are self-centered. However, the looking back here is not an unfair and partial looking back. Rather, it is a reflection of the life of loving and living the Triune God.
Here, each of us looking at our own work means not only looking at our own work, but also looking at all the surrounding work and things. Human beings are engrossed in their work, but they tend not to take a fair look at themselves and their surroundings. Therefore, to look back with love for God, not love for oneself, is true caring. If you take care of your own business regardless of God, you will lead a spiritually destitute life. However, if you have a perfect relationship with God and take care of your surroundings, you will realize that He cares for you in everything you do. Therefore, we should find joy in living before God, in His presence, and in living a life of caring for ourselves, our work, and those around us.
B. Take a look at the work of others
Second, you need to look at other people's work. To look at other people's affairs here means to pay attention to other people and to pay attention to them. As bad as hating someone is indifference. You will soon become self-centered. Taking care of other people means not only taking care of other people's affairs, but also considering the needs of others first and meeting their needs. In caring for other people's work, the first thing to do is to have the same mind. Taking care of the work of others makes the Lord's heart happy, and it is the secret to living joyfully ourselves.
Consider a project to reclaim the desert area of Libya as farmland. Water flows through the desolate desert to form a stream, and the stream supplies water to the surrounding grass and trees, and colors the fields and mountains with a fresh green color. The grasses and mountains that hold the water form a forest, and when the ground is dry again, water is poured out. In this way, the Christian life should not be grasped, but we should live with the idea that we exist to benefit others by letting all our material, spirit, knowledge, etc., to others. To look after others' work is to serve and love others with love and affection. People who live like this can live a life of joy.
III. traffic to be whole
Because of the perfecting fellowship, the heart of the apostle was filled with the joy of Christ. We each have our own resources and we live in our own strength and ability. So people try to conserve their resources. Also, believers grafted into Christ live by their own resources. Nevertheless, the spirit of such communal life must be alive. We need to look at the work of others for the fellowship to perfect the chaff. We must provide physical resources to those who are materially deprived, and heavenly resources to those who are spiritually deprived.
These days, we are doing local evangelism without a church, and the community should work hard to provide heavenly resources to the sheep of the Lord who are at risk. There are many people in the church who also need this resource. Who takes pleasure in helping those in need? When the body of the church is happy, the Son, who is the head of the church, is happy; when communication in the church becomes smooth, the Father who communicates is happy; and when people around the church are taken care of, the Father who takes care of his children is happy.
IV. The essence of pleasing God
So, what exactly is pleasing God? It is the joy of giving knowledge. Realizing God through events like this is only a small part. This Bible teaches us in earnest about who God is. Why do people seek the Lord at the brink of life? Why do people seek the 'way to overcome the test' only when they have passed the test, and look for the series called 'God's love' when they completely slipped away from God's love!! More blessed are those who meditate on the word of the Lord day and night. A person who is always close to the Word of God can revive his own soul and send its influence to the souls around him.
V. CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION
No one can live with their backs to the sun. It is foolish to seek joy and happiness while turning away from living before God. The person who lives while enjoying even His majesty is the person who can live a happy life. Those who turn their backs on God and put on the rubber shoes of faith upside down cannot be happy. Therefore, since there is nothing in God that can make us happy except for rejoicing for God, all our joy must be a life that rejoices in God. We should meditate on the truth every day and look around us with the joy that comes from knowing the truth. 2006-07-12