Finding peace through Philippians 4:8-9

There’s a lot of junk out there in the world.

It can be difficult to stay positive when the economy is poor or gas prices are high. It can be difficult to remain upbeat when your kids continually misbehave or your boss treats you unfairly.

There are all sorts of other things out in the world that can cause us to lose our focus and derail us.

In the Bible, the apostle Paul gives us some ideas on how to remain positive. He wrote his letter to the church of Philippi from a Roman prison. Even though he was being held as a prisoner, Paul fills his letter with hope and joy. His is able to remain joyous despite the fact that he’s in prison because he has hope in God.

In Chapter 4, Verse 8 of the letter, Paul explains how we, too, can experience God’s peace.

I have been studying the Amplified Bible recently because it tries to get back to original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that the original scriptures were written in, and I believe, gives a slightly better interpretation of some of the concepts and ideas and words.

This verse is one that many Christians are familiar with. I have heard it quoted often. But I’m also going to go on to the next verse, which is much less quoted, but I think gives a fuller explanation of the concept Paul is trying to get across.

 

Philippians 4:8 (Amplified Bible)

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”

I deal with words quite extensively in my job, yet I still needed to look “winsome” up in the dictionary. It means “generally pleasing and engaging, often because of a childlike charm and innocence.”

So, what Paul is saying here is that we are to focus on all the good and noble things in life. We know there is other junk in the world, and we are to ignore it on a day-to-day basis, not even to speak of it as things are not to do.

What’s the first thing that happens when you tell a child not to do something? They go and do it.

So, Paul is saying not to pay that junk any mind. And when we think about all the pure things in life, we are to do so with a childlike innocence.

In this verse, we’re told what to do. In the next verse, we’re told what benefit we’re going to get out of acting this way.

 

Philippians 4:9 (Amplified Bible)

“Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.”

You’ve heard the phrase, “practice makes perfect.” Well, we may never achieve perfection here on Earth. We leave perfection up to God. But, through practice, we can sometimes get awful close.

So, Paul tells us to practice focusing on the pure and holy and lovely things in the world in which we live.

He said that if we need a model to show us how it’s done, he’s happy to provide the leadership. Just follow me as I follow Christ, he says.

And, if we do these things, then the God of peace will dwell within us.

Paul doesn’t say that God will provide us with riches or good health or anything else if we choose this path. But we will find peace.

Three Little Pigs and the Shady Home Builder

I actually came up with a slightly altered version of this at church a while back, using the name of a fellow attendee as my home builder. His wife enjoyed it. Incidentally, I don’t think he’s shady in the least. It did get some laughs, though, when I said the moral of the story is that we are all to learn from this home builder’s mistakes.

 

Three Little Pigs and the Shady Home Builder

The first little pig went to his local home builder and said, “Hey, I’m kind of tired of living in this pig sty with my brothers. It’s open air and ever time it rains, I get all wet and muddy. Plus, those guys are slobs. Can you help me out?”

The home builder asks the little pig what kind of budget he was looking at, and the pig said he didn’t have a lot of money.

So, the home builder said to the little pig, “Look, I think I know something that might fit into your price range. I’ve got this straw here that I can let you have cheap. It’s not top of the line building material, but it fits into your price range. Plus, it will keep you dry when it rains … well, pretty dry anyway. It’s not bad for the price.”

The little pig thinks a while and says, “Well, it’s better than what I have now, so I’ll take it.”

Half an hour later, the pig has a house of straw. It’s nice and comfy for the most part.

However, the pig lives in a nasty neighborhood with nasty neighbors. That Wolf family down the street is always making noise in the middle of the night and they really terrorize the neighborhood.

One day, the Big Bad Wolf came knocking at the little pig’s door. The little pig opens the door, and the wolf clears his throat (loudly, of course), and the pig’s straw house trembles and comes crashing down around him.

The second little pig decides he wants to build a house, too. He’s tired of this sty thing and seeks out the house builder.

“Hey, dude. I really need a house,” he said to the house builder. “But I saw how that straw worked out for my brother, and I want something that will hold up a little better than that. I’ve saved up some money, and I can afford something better. What have you got?”

“I can see you’re a smart man,” the home builder said to the pig. “You don’t want any of that flimsy straw. Look, just for you, I can cut you a break on these sticks over here. They’re the finest sticks, imported straight from Granny’s Woods, and they are guaranteed to stand up to Big Bad Wolf breath. Not only that, but it’s a good bargain, too.”

The second little pig thinks a while, knowing that he could afford the granite counter tops if he went with straw. But no, he’d sacrifice the luxurious interior amenities if he can have a stronger building material.

So, a few weeks later, the second little pig moves into his house made of sticks down the street from his brother’s pile of straw.

That Wolf family is still at it, inviting all their friends over for loud parties and carrying on until all hours of the night. Eventually, the Big Bad Wolf wanders down the street and knocks on the second little pig’s door.

The second little pig wasn’t in the mood to answer the door as he was getting a pedicure and watching “Green Acres” on reruns.

All that yelling at the party had made the wolf’s throat a little hoarse, so he cleared his throat and coughed into the house made of sticks, hoping to get the pig’s attention.

No luck.

“Aha!” the pig thought. “Sticks are indeed better than straw. I have one-upped my dear sweet brother.”

But Wolfie was intent on getting the second little pig’s attention, so he yelled, “Hey there, Mr. Piggie! Come out and play!”

The vibrations from the wolf’s yelling started the stick house to shaking, and it collapsed to the ground.

The third little pig, who had been toiling in the sty all this time, racking up a nice little nest egg, wanted to join his brothers in town. So, he collected his belongings and traveled down the railroad tracks a piece until he got the outskirts of town.

There, he saw a pile of sticks, a pile of straw and a Wolf house with dancing, yelling, obnoxious wolves inside.

He had a little chat with his disappointed brothers, who suggested he try a different house builder. But, the third little pig had been buddies with this house builder since they were both little porkers.

So, he went to the house builder’s office and inquired as to what his money might bring.

“Now, I don’t want that cheap building material you pawned off on my brothers,” he said. “I want something that’s going to stand up to those unruly wolves. I want top of the line. And it better come with a lifetime guarantee.

“And your workers are union, right?”

“Oh yes, Mr. Third Little Pig,” the home builder said. “My workers are all union. And I know exactly what you mean. You certainly are the smartest little piggie in the family, aren’t you? You know quality when you see it.

“Well, let me introduce you to something that just came in. This brick is unbelievable. We use mortar to hold this sturdy building material together and no wolf could possibly blow down a house made from it.”

“Throw in the granite counter tops and you’ve got yourself a deal,” the shrewd pig said.

The home builder knew that he had to make this sale, even if he did feel like he was giving up a lot. He needed a satisfied customer to refer future clients to. So, he reluctantly agreed to throw in the granite counter tops.

A couple months later, the third little pig moved into the brick, ranch style home with two-corn bin garage and hot and cold running mud in the tub.

He was a very happy pig in his new home. And despite the noisy neighbors, he didn’t have any complaints.

Of course, you just knew that the wolves would eventually make their way down to the new neighbor to welcome him in a way that only wolves would approve of.

So, the Big Bad Wolf sauntered past the pile of straw and the pile of sticks, arriving at the brick house. He looked it up and down and found himself somewhat impressed by the structure. But still he was determined to turn this housewarming into a house falling.

He knew he’d have to have an improved effort with this house, so he knocked on the door, and yelled with all his might, “Hey, Mr. Piggie! Come out and play … if you’re not chicken!”

The silly wolf started making motions with his arms as if he had chicken wings, flapping them about as he bobbed his head and pecked at the air with his lips.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck, Mr. Piggie! Are ya chicken?! Well, are ya?!!”

Hmmm, the wolf thought, this house hasn’t budged a millimeter. I need some of my friends to help out. So, he called to his buddies and they came running, eager to ruin the day for the third little piggie.

They whipped themselves up into a frenzy, howling and yelling and carrying on all over the front yard of the pig who built with brick.

And just as the home builder promised, the brick house withstood the wolves.

The moral of the story

This story illustrates how easy it is to destroy relationships that do not have strong foundations.

If we don’t invest a lot into a relationship with a co-worker, a family member or a friend, or if it is built with weak materials, it doesn’t take much to knock it down.

But if we build our relationships with strong materials and invest a lot into them, they can’t be destroyed by even the worst of conditions.

Spreading the good news of cherry pie

I wrote this column for a newspaper. It appeared on July 31, 2008.

Let’s say I had this absolutely delicious cherry pie. I had eaten a piece and it was so incredibly wonderful that I just knew that anybody else who tasted this pie would experience the same euphoria that I did.

So, I say to my friend, “Hey, try some of this pie. It’s unbelievably tasty. It’s the best pie I’ve ever had. I just know you’re going to love it, too.”

My friend is also somewhat of a cherry pie enthusiast. And knowing that I am a cherry pie freak (in a good way), he has complete confidence that I know my pies left and right.

Therefore, he accepts my offer and takes a nibble. He is immediately flabbergasted at its sweet cherry goodness and flaky crust, thanks me profusely and asks for more.

Not only do I give him more, but I also give him the recipe so he can make some for himself. That way, he can make the pie himself and share with others, too.

Unlike my friend, there are people who may be a bit skeptical of my pie-making skills and knowledge of such delicacies. Or perhaps they tasted some poorly made cherry pie once that made them nauseous. They are afraid that this pie will be just like that one. They may be quite hesitant to try any.

But, I just know they’ll be flipping head over heels if they taste this one. After all, I have experienced all the wonderful feelings associated with eating this pie. I know what it did for me. And I also see how it was such a positive experience for my friend.

Therefore, I add a few more reasons for these unsure folks to try it.

“That previous cherry pie could have been made by someone not well versed in preparing cherry pie. They may have made fatal errors in the creation process or used poor quality ingredients,” I may say before adding, “This particular pie was made from only the freshest of cherries, delicately hand picked at the height of tastiness. So they are guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds.”

And for the clincher:

“Cherries are a good source of Vitamins A and C and potassium, plus they have a number of anti-oxidants,” I may remind these folks. “So, in addition to being the most scrumptious pie you’ll ever have, it’s also very, very good for you.”

This reasoning may persuade some folks to go ahead and try some. Others may stick to what is comfortable for them.

“I’ve had no cherry pie since the cherry pie incident of ‘78 and I have no desire for cherry pie. Even though you make a good argument for trying this pie you made, and I am sure that this cherry pie gives you warm and fuzzy feelings all over when you eat it, I do not feel that I shall eat it,” they may say, sort of like what I say about liver except that nobody has tried to convince me to eat that since my parents made me.

Even though some of these people did not try the pie, they are not upset that I have tried to introduce it to them. They are confident that the pie has been good for me and for many others. It perhaps is not for them … at least not at this time.

There is yet another group of people, though: the anti-cherry pie league. They get ornery anytime someone mentions cherry pie. And they don’t much like rhubarb, peach or pecan neither. When they see a picture of cherry pie in a magazine, they cross it out with a black permanent marker.

And anybody who dares tout the goodness of cherry pie? Woe be to that person.

If I were to try to tell them the good pie news, they may very well reply with a grumble and a snort and growl this retort: “You cherry pie freaks are all alike. All you want to do is make people eat cherry pie. Well, I don’t like cherry pie! And I don’t like you and your kind. Cake rules; pie drools. Don’t bother me, you cherry pie freak!”

Then, they turn their back on me and walk away.

How can this be? How can they think cherry pie is no good for anybody?

I mean, this is the best cherry pie ever, even better than Rachel Ray can make. And surely, they will derive pleasure from it. I know I did. And I know many others who have. If only they would just take one little bite.
Should I continue making a case for this pie? They already feel I am a nuisance.

Should I follow them and shove the pie in their face and force them to eat some?

Will forcing someone to do something against their will can cause anything good to happen?

God gives all free will. We make our own choices.

It is unfortunate, I think, that they will not enjoy this pie. However, I can’t make them try it. And if I try to make them, they will probably become even more bitter and angry toward any future pie man they may meet.

I could try to shame or guilt them into eating pie.

“You anti-cherry pie people should be ashamed of yourselves for not trying cherry pie!” I yell at them “This cherry pie is the only good thing to eat in this whole town. All other pies cower in its presence.  And your children will suffer horrendous things if you do not eat this pie!

“So there, take that.”

Will this convince them to try some?

When I was in college, we had a preacher come to our quad a few times. Brother Jed would hold a Bible in his hands and pretty much insult everyone he saw, using some interesting words I won’t print here, telling them they were going to Hell because they were all sinners.

After watching one young lady unsuccessfully try to convince him that this was not the way to accomplish his goal, I just walked away.

How successful do you think Brother Jed was in persuading people to try the version of cherry pie he was sharing?

How many simply got a bad taste in their mouths?

Brother Jed knew what he was supposed to do. He just didn’t understand how he was supposed to do it.
He had been instructed to go out and spread the good news of Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)

The problem was that either Jed had not been properly instructed in how to do this, chose to ignore how to do this or was just struggling with doing it.

Brother Jed would have been wise to keep another Bible verse in mind while trying to save us sinners.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).
The key part of that verse is “with gentleness and respect.” That’s the “how.”

If Christians want others to listen to their message, we need to make sure we  do it in a Christian way.

Free Will and God’s Will

God gave us free will. But he also has a will for our lives.

How can we have free will if God already knows what’s going to happen?

How can we possibly have free will?

Good question.

I’ll attempt to answer it based on my view of who God is and what he does.

As far as I am concerned, God is name most give to the entity that created all we can possibly experience, namely the universe we are a part of.

I also call this creative force God.

God created everything, including human beings. This creation is akin to a father and mother creating a child.

And parents love to see their children learn to do things on their own. We love to see a child say “mama” or “dada” for the first time. When the child does this, he or she is creating their first words.

To see something that you created start the creative process itself is exhilarating.

Being the ultimate creator and parent, God had a desire to see his creations create, too. The best way to do that is to give those creations the ability to make whatever choice they want.

Studies have shown that when children are allowed to select the activities they wish to pursue, they pursue them with more enthusiasm and are more successful at them than if they are forced into activities they would not have chosen otherwise.

Granted, we do not always use this power to our advantage, nor do we always choose that which God knows is best for us.

Which brings us to God’s will.

God’s will is for everyone to act, speak and think out of love all the time. That’s the most important commandments in the Bible, love and honor God and love each other as yourself. All else flows form that.

The more we think, act and speak out of love, the closer we feel to God as well as each other.

However, God does not impose his will on us. If he did, this world would not be in the shape it’s in right now. God could just snap his fingers, and everyone would love one another and that would be an immediate end to all wars, hunger and homelessness.

But he won’t do that. God won’t make us love him.

You can’t do that here on Earth either. Try making someone love you. You can force them to do or say certain things. But you can’t make them have certain thoughts or feelings toward you.

I dare you to say this to someone: “I command you to have great feelings of love toward me.”

God doesn’t say this either.

No, God loves us so much that he allows us to choose whether to love him or not. Because he knows that when we choose to pursue the desires of our heart, we pursue them with great enthusiasm.

Free will is one of the greatest gifts God gave us. Without it, we would not be able to freely choose to come to him, which is his will.

Broken foot healed

I broke my left foot at my parents house on a Friday night in August 2005. I prayed that God would heal it because I had events the next two days I very much wanted to attend, one of which involved a lot of walking. By Sunday, I hardly had any limp left. I got X-rays shot in Tuesday and they told me to wear a walking boot until I was to see the foot specialist on Friday. The foot began to swell after I got the boot. The swelling didn’t go down with ice. In fact, the swelling didn’t go down until after I decided that I was healed in Jesus’ name and took off the boot Thursday evening. When I got up Friday morning, the swelling was gone. The doctor checked me out, looked at the X-rays and said “Yes, you broke your foot. But that’s an old injury. It’s calcified.” I’ve never broken my foot before. I explained to him what I knew about God’s supernatural healing. He said “I was going to say you’re lucky. But that’s wrong. You’re blessed.” Hallelujah! Praise God!