Day 7 | Philippians 3:1-7
Rejoice in the Lord
If the things that our spouse does or doesn’t do have the power to steal our joy, have we really learned what it means to rejoice in the Lord?
Most believers would say that they desire to know God’s will for their life and their marriage, but it can be hard to be faced with the reality of what this will actually is. As Paul counselled the Thesselonian believers,
I Thesselonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
God’s will for us as believers is to rejoice and give thanks in every situation. This is absolutely impossible for any human being to do in their own strength, but that’s why this is specifically described as God’s will for us in Christ Jesus, and why the second exhortation in his list is so vital—to pray without ceasing. Only Christ can fulfill God’s will in us as we are humble and willing to ask Him for help, moment by moment. Paul expands upon this counsel in his letter to the Philippians as well,
Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
We see that he again emphasizes the importance of being prayerful in everything. And if these earnest prayers and supplications are brought to God with thanksgiving—choosing to trust God’s faithfulness and thank Him for answering before we see it come to pass—we will experience supernatural peace, and be able to rejoice in even the most trying circumstances.
Philippians 4:11-13 “… For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
No Confidence in the Flesh
“The flesh” is a term Paul uses to represent our own works, and he counsels us to have no confidence therein. Here in Paul’s letter, he references circumcision.
Circumcision was a sign that God gave to Abraham and his descendants because, unfortunately, God knows how quickly we forget and repeat our past mistakes. Abraham had made a terrible mistake in doubting God’s promise to give him a son through his wife, Sarah. He chose to put his confidence in his own flesh (literally) in trying to fulfill God’s word by having a child with a different woman. This massive breech in the marriage covenant caused tremendous pain and suffering in his own family, and the consequences of this sin would lead to untold suffering throughout human history. Thus the removal of this particular piece of flesh was instituted as a means of reminding all of his descendants that the flesh profits nothing in the fulfillment of God’s promises.
But unfortunately, over time, it seems this meaning was completely forgotten by Abraham’s bloodline. In an amazingly ironic way, the Jewish people turned the very symbol of the utter insufficiency of our own works into a “work” itself, which they taught that men must do to be saved! But God never stopped trying to remind them that what was needed was the circumcision of their hearts—the complete loss of confidence in their own strength, and their return to confidence in His power alone to fulfill His good pleasure in them.
Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the LORD (Yahweh) your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD (Yahweh) your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Paul especially, describing himself as “a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6) had a special burden to bring home this truth to believers, teaching often that true circumcision is of the heart.
Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
And so in our marriages, just as in our relationship with God, we cannot trust in outward religious forms to make our home a holy and joyful place. Many well-meaning couples institute habits such as regular church attendance, family prayers, modest dressing, healthy eating, and even reading the Bible. And while none of these things are bad, in fact they are wonderful habits to cultivate, not a single one of them has the power to sanctify our marriage if our heart is not right with God! If we have confidence in our own flesh, believing that these “good works” will save our marriage, we will be sorely disappointed. Many believers are shocked to learn that the divorce rate within the “Christian” population is not much different than that of unbelievers.
If we are not humbling ourselves before God daily, asking Him to renew our hearts and fill us with His Spirit, we will not be able to manifest the fruits of the Spirit towards our spouse, and allow the love of Christ to be felt in our home.
Matthew 7:14 “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
We must choose to give up our confidence in the traditions, schedules, and habits that we have trusted in to bring health and happiness to our families. Not to necessarily discard them, if they prove to be good and helpful practices, but to dethrone them from Christ’s rightful seat in our hearts, that they may be held in their proper place as the fruit, and not the root. We must do as Paul did, casting down all trust in our own works—no matter how “good” our track record may be—and counting all things as loss for Christ, that we may be humbled to acknowledge our desperate need of a new heart. In this mindset we will be empowered to rejoice and find peace in His power alone to fulfill His promise in our marriages, that what God has joined together, no man may separate (Matt. 19:6).
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