Philippians 4:1-9 (NRSV)
Read Philippians 4:1-9 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. Verse 2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Verse 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Verse 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Verse 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Verse 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Verse 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Verse 8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Verse 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Devotion
One of my kids’ favorite movies includes a song which contains the lyrics, “you’ve got to accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative.” So often in our daily lives we get caught up in the negative—the pressures of day-to-day work, study, family and finances. These things can overwhelm us so much that we fail to see what is positive and good.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians encourages us to focus on what God has done for us in the death and resurrection of Christ. We may never be able to totally eliminate the negatives from our daily lives. Yet through our focus on that which is just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise, we can experience a peace of mind that only God can provide.