THE PHILIPPIANS 4 - CHECKLIST
21st Jul 2021
Paul concludes his letter to the Philippians with some “Exhortations” - I see these as principles for living every day in peace, joy and victory - so here they are.
1. No broken relationships - Euodia and Syntyche were out of sorts with each other, and needed to forgive and agree. Forgiveness is a principle, it is a decision of the will, not an emotion. So there should be no-one in your life from whom you are estranged.
2. Always Rejoicing - “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice!” From the moment you wake up you need to be rejoicing. You have heard me encourage you to have “A Song in the Morning” - so just do it.
3. Gentleness - “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” God hears if you are having a grouchy start to the day.
4. Don’t let worry dominate - “Do not be anxious about anything.” A friend once told me, you can either pray or worry, you can’t do both at the same time.
5. Pray about everything - “But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
6. Peace beyond Understanding - “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus.” You may not have the answer to your prayer, but you will have peace that you find it difficult to comprehend. That’s God’s abundance poured into your heart.
7. Be careful about what you see and hear - “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable - excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Monitor what you look at on TV and what you read.
8. Learn to be content in all things - “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Life is not always easy and we all have problems and challenges, but it is possible to reman content whatever is going on around us.
9. Use God’s resources for everything you do - “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Independence and self sufficiency is something we all do - ask for wisdom and help from heaven in every situation.
10. Make giving a principle of life - “Not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except for you.” Give and it will be given to you was a foundation of the teaching of Jesus, it remains the same today.
11. God will meet all your needs - the letter draws to an end with these words, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” This is not confined to money, it says - all your needs - receive God’s rich abundance in every area of life.
These are God’s principles for living the kind of life He desires, however, we cannot live like this without His strength and the resources of the Holy Spirit. If this word places you under condemnation, forgive yourself and reach out to the Only One who can give you everything you need.
by Charles Sibthorpe
