The other day my husband asked me what my favorite book of the Bible was. It’s hard to pick a favorite one really, but I do love the symbolism found in Leviticus and the joy-filled encouragement of Philippians. Whenever I need a little faith lift, I know I can turn to Philippians for some uplifting truth.
I got to wondering how many times Paul used the word “joy” in his letter to the Philippian church, so I started counting last night. I found six of them, but I also noticed 9 times that he used the word “rejoice.” That’s quite a bit for a small book of only four chapters.
But, do you know what I find really interesting in all this? Paul wrote that letter from prison, and by the middle of the first chapter, he was already rejoicing. Most people would be discouraged if they were locked up for sharing their faith, but Paul saw his imprisonment as a means to further the gospel. And, in that he greatly rejoiced.
You see, Paul had a secret. I guess it’s not so much a secret anymore since he told us what it was in verse 21:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, KJV)
His source of joy was Christ. Paul was in the world, but he wasn’t invested in this world the way that most people are. Certainly he was invested in preaching the gospel, but His hope was in Christ. Instead of holding on to this world, he held on to the prize set before him and that was the source of his joy.
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Tilling the Soil
If you’re feeling down this week, ask yourself if perhaps you’re too invested in the circumstances around you. Try to let go of your hold on this world by holding all the more tighter to Christ.
Planting Hope
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, KJV)
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife