What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,
– Philippians 1:18-19 ESV
Looking Back at a Tough Year
Last year was a tough year, and many can relate. We lost several family members and felt discouragement in more areas than one. In spite of the loss, I’ve found myself encouraged when reading Philippians 1:18 Paul says “Yes, and I will rejoice.” This verse is gold and key to a way of life that rejoices even when current circumstances don’t make sense.
I am so encouraged by this Scripture because I know that Paul’s situation, geographically, was less than ideal. He was in prison writing about rejoicing! I kept asking myself, “How in the world could Paul be praising in prison?”
I am confident Paul was making a choice based not on his circumstances, but on what he knew to be true. God deserved praise even when he wasn’t in the perfect situation. I’ve found that most people only give God glory and praise when everything is working out and going great. When the bills are paid, when the touchdown is made, when the kids do something without complaining.
But Paul shows us how he made a decision of the will and not of the feel. This is healing for me and you because it’s an example of the opposite of our natural response. Our natural responses are often tainted, spoiled and left subject to a temporary perspective of a situation. We need to be quick in inviting a heavenly perspective which allows us to rejoice when we fall into suffering of any kind.
You may be in a hard circumstance, but this does not define who you are. Paul drew a fine line between the fact that he was in prison and the truth that he is NOT a prisoner. He was still walking in the fullness of his calling even in the midst of a trying situation. Make the decision now, in spite of whatever you may be going through, “and I will rejoice.”
The Myth of Following Our Heart
This is a world-class example of a conversation I once had with my father about the overused phrase “I am just going to follow my heart.” It’s the world’s standard, and I can’t forget telling my dad one day that this was just what I was going to do. He responded back to my confident declaration by telling me, “Boy, what do you mean? Following your heart is not in the Bible.” And he directed me to Jeremiah 17:9 where my heart is called wicked and deceitful. He shined a light on the truth that I shouldn’t follow my heart, and not only should I not follow it, but I should rather demand my heart to follow truth.
As long as you’re following the truth, you are placing a leash on your feelings and demanding them to obey God. It is altogether true that happiness and joy are two separate entities, one is a gift and fruit of the spirit, the other is an illusion. Happiness is dependent on what is happening, and joy is based on your internal faith in God’s ability to be 1000% not you.
Knowing Where You Are Going
Earlier I said that the ending of verse 18 in Philippians 1 is gold. Well, it’s really gold plus more gold because of the content that proceeds in verse 19 where Paul says, “for I know that this WILL turn out for my deliverance.”
I have a story about my son, J2. One of the things that I love about homeschooling our five kids between the ages of one and eleven is that I get to teach them real life. Homeschooled kids don’t miss out on everything. They get to have field trips, and I just happen to be on every one of them!
I have some friends, who have a garden. I took the kids out there one day to teach them that food doesn’t just magically appear on the table, and one day there is a real possibility that they may have to know how to grow their own food! J2 was not vibing with me on this. He was complaining, whining and wanting to be everywhere else. What he was being asked to do was accompanied every time with a moan or a groan in absolute discord. I said, “Son, you’re not going to be able to go swimming in our friends’ pool when we are done if you don’t act right.” Right there, something clicked in him. What I used as leverage, became fuel for him, and suddenly he was slam-dunking the okra and yelling, “WOO BAAANNG!” (He’s nine; we don’t need to understand him right now.) When I asked him what changed his mind, and why he was now dancing in the garden he was once miserable in, what he said was truly profound.
“Dad, you showed me where I was going after this. Now that I know where I am going, I can dance where I am.”
A Reason to Have Joy
You see, brothers and sisters, Ephesians 1 outlines that which the blood of Christ affords to us through His sacrifice on the cross. We are now chosen, forgiven, predestined, redeemed and our footsteps ordered. We, you and I, are sojourners here on the earth. We have to know that where we are going is so much greater than where we are currently.
We WILL have circumstances, but our circumstances don’t have to have us. Believing that God’s Word is active and living on the inside of us gives us the faith that helps us to stand in moments of trial and tribulation so as to not be moved by the heavy currents. We have hope as an anchor to our souls that God WILL deliver us, and He is so good that he will give us the words to praise Him while we are waiting!
Stay the course and know that even when your current situation is less than ideal, there is always a reason to have joy because our Lord and Savior gives us hope in the outcome! He has overcome the world! WOO BAAANNG! That’s good news!
For even more by Jonathan Evans check out his book Your Time Is Now
“Jonathan Evans was riding the coattails of his father’s relationship with God. The son of a highly accomplished pastor with a huge ministry, he was comfortable and did what he had to do, but he didn’t push himself to figure out his own role or purpose. But as he got older, he realized he needed to do more with his life.
In this book Jonathan uses the Old Testament leader Joshua as a model for stepping up to God’s big call on your life. Before Joshua, Moses was the one who had spoken to God, performed miracles, and stood up to Pharaoh. But now Joshua had to come out to the front. So what did he do? How did he step up? And what steps can you take to seize now for yourself?”
