Discovering Spiritual Healing (9))

Philippians 4:1-10

Jim Davis

It is hard for us to believe God can turn the pain of spiritual struggles into a purposeful way of living. This is the result of a faulty view of God. We see God as someone who should come into our lives to change our circumstances rather than someone who comes into our lives to direct our lives in our circumstances. 

“We see God as a cosmic stage manager waiting in the wings to redesign the set whenever our circumstances become unpleasant. When we give the cue, we expect him to leap into action and change our surroundings in some mysterious way—apart from anything we do and regardless of whether or not we change. Then, when God does not change the setting on cue, we sigh in disgust and go about seeking to change it for him.”1 

God is not a stage manager; he is the one who has written the play. He doesn’t change the setting for the convenience of the characters. The characters must follow his script. God is unfolding and working out his plan through our circumstances to redeem each of us. 2   

What Is Shaping Our Minds

What if you had a recording of your thoughts for this past week? Would you want your friends, family and business associates to listen to the recording. What would the recording reveal about you? These questions might impress upon us our need to surrender our lives to the will of God.

We are bombarded with a never-ending flow of worldly concepts designed to shape or reshape our imaginations and our lives. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books and the Internet are our constant companions. Much all of it is filled with evil, earthly philosophies. The vast majority of mass media is designed to lure us into specific ways of thinking.

Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” We know this is true because we know how our imaginations, dreams, and fantasies become the gravitational pull or our lives for good or bad.  How many times have we been told you have to have a purposeful dream to find purpose? Why? Our dreams and goals shape our lives. The question is who or what shapes our dreams?

God’s plan for saving the world is through transformation of our hearts and minds. 

Romans 12:1-2
12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

We ask our children “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We were asked this question as children. It seems like the question we should ask. But somewhere along the line we may learn a better question. Instead of asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up.” We should ask, “What do you think God wants you to be when you grow up?” 
What do you think God wants you to be when you grow up? I’m still asking that question. I hope you never stop asking it and it’s a much better question, isn’t it? What do you think God wants you to be when you grow up, when you mature? 
This question demands a constant reassessment of who we are in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. 
Noah was trapped in a misguided and lost world. Every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was evil. You don’t have to be student of human behavior to understand the depravity of the situation to understand the dire circumstances Noah found himself. There was absolutely no way out of his circumstances, but God showed him how to survive through his circumstances. God didn’t enter into his world changing the circumstances. Man’s freedom prevented God from doing so. God entered Noah’s life to give him direction. 

Courage is what it took for Noah to challenge the world’s way of thinking. God chose to save Noah’s world through preaching of Noah. He became a preacher of righteousness to a world whose imaginations ran wild. He was only able to save a few—himself and his family. It was Noah’s job to challenge the thinking of a world gone awry. We need courageous Christians who know how to challenge the world’s way of thinking. This should be the purpose of all evangelism.

God has entered into our through Christ to change the way we think. Throughout the Scriptures it is called different things—repentance, change of heart, renewing the mind, putting on Christ, but in the end it all has to do with changing the way we think. The Holy Spirit is here to change the way we think. 

Genesis chapter six and verse three says, “Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.’" The Spirit of God was contending with Noah’s world to change their imaginations. He was there to get them to image the world as God would have it.

Peter referred to Christians as strangers because living for Christ seems like a strange way of living in a lost world. We can’t even imagine how strange Noah must have been felt in that world. It took courage to stand against the tide. I am absolutely sure it made him a man of prayer. 

The story of Noah fills children’s Bible storybooks. It’s almost as if the story isn’t taken seriously by our modern world. The devastation of the hurricanes of late, and the earthquake in the Far East this past week pales into insignificance to the destruction of the flood. We can’t even begin to imagine the devastation Noah saw when he came out of the ark. It is little wonder that the first thing he did when he came off that ark was to build an altar.

The courage for living in an estranged world is discovering how to live according to the will of God. We usually ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” We are task oriented. Just give me a task to do and I will get the job done. I’ll be a missionary, preacher, Bible teacher, elder, etc. Some set out to build a church. I once heard a preacher say years ago “You have to look real hard to find God in some of these churches.” People are so task oriented they lose sight of God.

We think Noah’s task was to build an ark. He most certainly built an ark, but he built the ark because he was living according to the will of God. God filled Noah’s imagination with the dream of living according to the will of God. It resulted in building an ark. However, it couldn’t have been built if Noah hadn’t decided he was going to live according to the will of God. 

Noah’s decision to live according to the will of God made it possible for him to accomplish task God gave him. Failing to approach life from this perspective will lead us to strive to build churches, but it is highly possible that we will lose sight of God. It is our mission to persuade others to live according to the will of God. It’s the only way of displacing sinful attitudes and salvaging our lives.

Living according to the will of God is the only thing that keeps you going when you know beyond any doubt that the circumstances you face are literally impossible to overcome.

Knowing you are living according to the will of God instills confidence and courage in whatever you are doing. Living according to the will of God assures you that you have all the resources of God to meet whatever challenge comes your way. 

Living According to God’s Will

Living according to God’s will allows us to turn whatever task we are pursuing into something that glorifies God. Many in the Corinthian church were seeking to change their calling. They were seeking to discover the will of God. Should a believer remain married to unbelievers? Should they seek to be free? Should they seek to be circumcised? Paul instructed them to remain in whatever calling they had before they came to Christ, but he encouraged them to live according to the will of God. This is how the church at Corinth solved its problems.

Imagining what Christ is calling you to do in whatever circumstances you find yourself is the key to success. The Spirit that guided Noah also directed the apostles on Pentecost, and he is here to direct our lives. He has given the Spirit breathed Scriptures. The Bible is not a book about how to build a boat, an ark, a temple or a church. It is a book designed to salvage my life as it reshapes my thinking. As I look back through salvation history I see God salvaging lives regardless of circumstances—in spite of corrupt priest, kings, prophets, preachers, churches and a corrupt world. The same Spirit that led them through an impossible world stands ready to lead us through our impossible world. Why shouldn’t we expect to be as successful? The same powerful Spirit is leading us.

No other book in the Bible explains what our attitude should be when our circumstances are not what we want them to be. Paul exemplifies the message of living in accordance to the will of God in every circumstance. He emphasizes the meaning and value of living according to the will of God in every circumstance. 

Philippians 1:3-14
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God. 

12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Paul encouraged the Philippians to focus on Christ in lest than perfect circumstances. This was his way of telling them to live according to the will of God in lest than perfect circumstances in the church. 

Philippians 1:15-18
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. 

The Philippians were encouraged to trust in God to continue his work in their hearts in less than perfect circumstances. They were to trust God to continue to work in their hearts to lead them to desire to act upon his good will. 

Philippians 2:12-16
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
The message of salvation makes us take an inward look, but is focused on serving others. So the question for you and me all the time is, “Am I going to serve myself or serve my Savior?” “Who’s going to control your life today – you or the Holy Spirit?” “Are you going to serve yourself or are you going to serve your Savior?” It’s a good way to start your day; “Am I going to serve myself or am I going to serve my Savior?”
Philippians 2:1-4
2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

We may not know or understand how to live according to the will of God in every circumstance. God simply encourages us to live up to what we already know and he will make it clear to us in his own time. 

Philippians 3:15-16
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 

The only way you can be successful in living the Christian life is to determine to be so much like Christ that you can’t screw it up. We are not capable of doing what God is calling us to do living otherwise. 

Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 

Allowing God to direct our thinking rather than asking him the change our circumstances brings personal peace to every circumstance.

Philippians 4:10-13
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 

Conclusion:
It is amazing how we approach being a Christian. Often we are just collecting inside information without genuinely caring about living in step with the Spirit.
Often we create plans for our life, which amount to nothing more than a desire to change our circumstances for better and bring them to God for his blessings.