In Lesson 1 of Philippians, which is an overview of the book, one thing struck me. Paul's visit to Philippi was very much planned and effected by God's divine hands. Not only had God prevented Paul from going to other places to preach, He had sent Paul a vision of a man calling to him from Macedonia. How obvious is that?? And the story goes on...unlike other places that Paul visited, this city of Philippi had no synagogue for him to carry out his usual pattern of preaching at the city's place of Jewish worship. And so, he ended up preaching the gospel at the river to some women who were there washing their clothes and utensils. One of whom was a lady by the name of Lydia.
While nothing very much is mentioned about her in the Bible and nothing about the narration about her stands out at first glance, she was in fact a rather outstanding woman in her time.(I've learnt by now, that every single thing that is included in the Bible is there for a purpose. God has a purpose for including certain things in the Bible. And the fact that this lady is in the Bible has its purpose.) She was a successful business woman. It isn't easy for anyone to be successful in business in the first place, but this is especially noteworthy because she is a WOMAN. In those times, women simply didn't have the same status as men in society. For her to own what she did was significant, because what she had, she gave generously to the work of the Lord without holding back. God used her mightily. Her heart was hungry for God in spite of what she materially possessed, and God opened her heart when He saw that she was hungry for Him. Because of Lydia, her whole household came to Christ. She was the first to offer her home to God so that it became the place where the early church met to pray.
He opens the heart of anyone who truly hungers for Him and will make time to listen to His words.
Another thing that struck me in this first lesson was Paul's many mentions of joy. How he told the Philippians to rejoice, and how he himself managed to be joyful in the midst of being in jail for no good reason. Not only did he not blame anyone for his predicament, he was able to see the good that came out of his imprisonment and was able to rejoice whether people preached Christ out of good or ill intentions while he was behind bars. He was only concerned with the gospel being preached, and not with his comfort or well-being. How many of us can say the same about ourselves?
I know that one of my weaknesses is my tendency to be negative, being joyful can be difficult. So there was much to reflect and think about when I read this...
Joy is one of the indicators of true spirituality. Never was true joy more needed than today.It's true you know. If circumstances ought not be a factor that moves our faith or changes our state in Christ Jesus, then our ability to be joyful shouldn't be dependent on what we go through. And that was what Paul had managed to achieve! "Never was true joy more needed than today". How true this is! I look at my students and some of my colleagues...they may not notice it but most are discontent, complainsome and utterly unhappy and bitter people. Some have bitterness just oozing out of them. They're so unhappy it not only affects them, it seeps into people around them. And not just them, sometimes I find myself dreading going to class or going in with a black face, and I have to catch myself and remind myself that I need to correct my attitude. Of course, I have my down times. Afterall, I AM human. But most times I try my best (even though sometimes it feels like the students are just out to get me) and I pray very hard in the morning on my way to school, that God would give me sufficient grace to handle what lay ahead, and that God will cause my students to show me grace as well.
Finally...
Paul's secret to contentment is found in continual rejoicing, in constantly turning over one's cares and anxieties to Christ with the result that one experiences constant peace, and in increasingly drawing one's strength from Christ, who is the inexhaustible supply of power.Choose to rejoice, I must.
