My brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. (Phil. 3:1)
Expanded Passage: Philippians 3:1
One of the reasons I absolutely love this letter is that it places such a great focus on joy. Not happiness. Not wealth. Not health. Not ease. Just joy. Joy in the midst of confinement—as we see with the apostle Paul’s house arrest—and in the midst of sickness—as we see with Epaphroditus. Joy in the midst of conflict—as we see with those hoping to cause harm to Paul. Joy in the midst of whatever happens to be going on at the time.
Every day, we are faced with innumerable choices. One of the most important, and perhaps most overlooked, is how we will react to whatever the day brings us. You may think that you cannot choose your reaction until you see what you are facing, but that is just wrong. You can wake up in the morning and make a decision about your reaction to the events of the day. When you do this, you take charge of the only thing you can control in your day—your attitude about it.
The apostle Paul’s purpose, found in his call, literally made him bulletproof, or I guess in his day, arrow-proof. Imprison him? He wrote letters that changed the world. Beat him? He let everyone know how important the God he served was. Kill him? Awesome! He was just going home! When nothing is allowed to steal your purpose and meaning in life, then nothing can actually steal your life.
Choose a proactive attitude rather than reacting to your experiences.
excerpt from The Book of Philippians (WPH)
Mike Hilson is lead pastor of New Life Church in La Plata, Maryland, and author of several books and ministry resources.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
