Running the Race – #36 Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.7.NASB What do you think of when you think of a guard? Often times the image of a big burly security guard comes to mind. Or even some elaborate security system or uniformed officer is what we picture as a guard. Yet what does Paul mention here that will guard our hearts and minds? Peace. Not what you would expect to be the guard of our hearts and minds, and yet peace is what keeps us focused on the things…

Running the Race – #35 Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.6.NASB Anxiety comes with prayerlessness. As we fail to seek the Lord or come to him with our needs and concerns, we experience anxiety. All of our situations that we go through should be brought to the throne of God with prayer so that he can direct us and lead us in how we are to respond and cope and make it through. We can only make it through the situations we go through with his help and…

Running the Race – #34 Philippians 4:5 – Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.5.NASB Gentleness. It’s one of the fruit of the Spirit that Paul discusses in Galatians. Here, Paul touches on it right after telling the people that they should be having joy and rejoicing in the Lord. Joy and gentleness go together. Not only are they both fruits of the Spirit, but as we have joy in the Lord it changes our attitude and our response to the situations we encounter. We can have gentleness and peace and love and kindness and all the other fruit of…

Running the Race – #33 Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.4.NASB Rejoice! A command for us to rejoice in the Lord. Not to rejoice in ourselves. Not to rejoice in our successes. Not to rejoice in our family or friends. Rejoice in the Lord. He is what we have to have joy in. Without him we would have nothing that could truly bring us joy. Do we find joy in the Lord or are we searching for joy in our circumstances? Do we find joy in the Lord or are we searching for joy from family or friends? Don’t…

Running the Race – #32 Philippians 4:2-3 – I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:2‭-‬3 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.2-3.NASB Live in harmony. Apparently there had been some issues with these two individuals being upset and frustrated with one another, to the point where even Paul, in prison, had heard about it. You know, we could substitute just about any two names into…

Running the Race – #32 Philippians 4:1 – Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. Philippians 4:1 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.4.1.NASB Stand firm in the Lord. This is not the only time Paul talks to us about the importance of standing firm. He discusses this in several other books including Galatians. Paul is not wanting us to go out and fight the Christian fight. What he’s asking us to do is to stand firm on the Christian principles and the truths of who Christ is. We don’t need to fight the fight, God has already done…

Running the Race – #31 Philippians 3:20-21 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:20‭-‬21 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.3.20-21.NASB Our citizenship is in heaven, isn’t that wonderful! Whether we live in a wonderful country or not, we can rest assured that our first citizenship is with the King of kings. He is the one who will transform everything one day. Are we living like we…

Running the Race – #30 Philippians 3:18-19 – For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. Philippians 3:18‭-‬19 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.3.18-19.NASB Four things that destroy. Paul is concetned about the people who are not following after Him. He describes then as enemies of Christ. As he states, their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, their glory is their shame, and finally they set their mind in earthly things. They have…

Running the Race – #29 Philippians 3:15-17 – Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. Philippians 3:15‭-‬17 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.3.15-17.NASB We all do better when we follow an example. Many people prefer to “see” what something is like or how to do it before they feel comfortable doing it on their own. That is part of why Jesus…

Running the Race – #28 Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12‭-‬14 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/php.3.12-14.NASB The Christian life is a process. First, we ask Christ into our heart and we are…