Philippians 4:4–9
I have this scripture passage from Philippians all marked up
in my bible. I have the word always
circled in the beginning phrase rejoice
in the Lord always. I have the sixth verse, which states do not be anxious about anything,
underlined. And in the margin I’ve drawn arrows around the whole passage and
written the words “some assembly is required”.
That’s definitely my approach to the holiday season: some
assembly required. There are presents to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, plans
to make, calendars to coordinate, planes to catch, and on and on. But it’s also
my approach to my faith: some assembly required. In this passage, written by
Paul, in what some call the most joyous book in the whole bible, we are
reminded to rejoice! To let our gentleness be evident to all. To pray with
thanksgiving. To think about what is lovely, what is right, what is pure, what
is excellent. And that can be hard. That can be near impossible. Especially in
today’s political climate. In a culture that feeds fear and demands perfection.
But it is in these fractured times, in this busy holiday
season, that we must put together the pieces Paul reminds us are there, right
in front of us. We have to seek out what is true, what is noble, what is
admirable, what is praiseworthy. We have to seek out the good. We have to
remember that a baby was born to save us all. And that the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will protect us.
Prayer for today: (lyrics from the Relient K song “I
Celebrate the Day”)
“And the first time
that you opened your eyes, did you realize that you would be my savior and the
first breath that left your lips, did you know that it would change this world
forever?”
Thank you for that, for the peace you bring to us all.
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