Friday, March 7, 2014

March 7, 2014  

Philippians 4: 1 - 9

This passage is rich in nuggets that are quite familiar and that can be seen as encouragements from a Spiritual Health Council:  

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!  I remember singing that as a round in the Sunday School, the kids using musical instruments we had made as we sang louder and louder, faster and faster.  A real sense of excitement and delight filled the room.  Sometimes we even danced.  I ask myself, how can I build that sense of joy into my day now; what effect would it have on how I felt, on the way I would go through the day.  Another translation (The Message) puts it this way: Celebrate God all day, every day.  I mean, revel in him. As a country we have been reveling in the excitement of the Olympics; what does reveling in God look like?

Don’t worry...pray...the peace of God that passes understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Max Lucado suggests that worrying is both irrelevant and irreverent; for example, imagine being in debt and staying awake all night worrying and, glory to worry, in the morning the money being there! (Doesn’t happen.)  Worry changes nothing and suggests that God can change nothing.  By bringing our concerns to God we can ask for his wisdom on how to face whatever the challenge is.  It may well be that what changes is our fear, our sense of powerlessness, our ability to think clearly.  I know I needed God’s peace throughout the time of Stewart’s illness and death - the bad things still happened, we suffered, but I believe God’s peace enabled us to live through that time and to enjoy every minute we could.

Finally, Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, 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.  This is a very favourite passage of mine: my father used to say that to me when I was a teenager if I wanted to do something that he felt was not good. For instance, if a movie was playing that “everyone” was going to, but it was obviously (from the advertising) full of bad language and behaviour, then he would ask me to apply this standard.  Reluctantly - it was hard to not do the popular thing - I could see the choice I had to make.  Just as junk food is toxic to the body, so junk images, words, behaviours are toxic to the mind and spirit.

Our Health Council encourages us to make choices that respect and care for our physical bodies. Paul here encourages us to make choices that respect and care for our minds and spirits.  Good choices will have good results: God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (The Message)

Blessings

-Ann Kelland