Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 6

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV). The Apostle Paul now comes to the fifth step in resolving conflict appropriately. He encourages us to guard our heart and mind with the peace of God, even when it does not make sense to do so (v. 7).

I have often turned to Charles Schultz and the Peanuts cast of characters for an illustration. Lucy is the classic “know-it-all.” The cartoon I’ve included with today’s devotional is simply one of many drawn to illustrate a common theme among all of us. We believe that our perspective always makes sense; our antagonist’s perspective doesn’t. We often speak of a conflict in a way that markets our interpretation. However, we ought to rethink that behavior and position. We ought to wonder what might happen if we framed the conflict in a way our rival would agree with; that is, in a manner the other person agrees is a fair summary of key issues. Every bone in my body abhors the injustice of it, but the peace of God surpasses all understanding and demands such respect for the brethren. I’ve tried my best to never debate a position I hold until I am so well-versed in the opposing position that I could argue for it as well as my own. If I can understand that which I am opposed to that well, I will have a much better understanding of why someone else might feel so different than I do about an issue. There’s nothing easy about that practice. It takes discipline and the willingness to let go of my competitive spirit. Truthfully there is no room for the peace of God and completion within my heart. Eradicating my need to be “right” in favor of experiencing God’s peace is the answer. The next time you feel the need to assert your superiority over someone else, remember the source of your righteousness. You didn’t deserve or earn it. You were given it by the grace of God.

Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 5

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV).

Have you ever faced a situation when you were paralyzed by the seemingly insurmountable conflict ahead? Perhaps it’s a conversation with a co-worker or supervisor about a conflict that has arisen in your workplace; or, it may be a discovery you have made about the behavior of your child; or it could be something that you suspect in the life of your spouse that has caused you to fear the worst outcome you’ve ever imagined; maybe it’s a conversation you’ve had with your healthcare provider about some tests you’ve had that have you wondering how you are going to break this news to your loved ones. You’re simply terrified and can’t go forward. The Apostle Paul, writing from his prison cell in Rome, gives us the answer to this dilemma, “Don’t be anxious about the conflict, but ask God to resolve it” (v. 6). We all fear conflict and confrontation to some degree. Sometimes our heart rate quickens, and our body physically trembles. We’re quick to seek human counsel and clarify our side of the story. The truth is that we must be quicker to seek the Lord’s counsel. We ought to cast my anxiety on him, ask him to do the impossible, and thank him for his marvelous, redemptive work in our relationships. The answer is always prayer. Even when our words are merely a jumble of thoughts, letters that are no more arranged than a bag of Scrabble tiles just dumped from the bag. The key is in the beginning, “Dear Jesus.” We have the Holy Spirit to interpret even our mere groaning, making them known perfectly to our Heavenly Father who will supply our every need. That person who makes your blood boil with anger, pray. That wayward, rebellious child, who has abandoned you leaving you with dashed dreams, pray. That spouse who has turned their back on you, leaving you alone and without hope, pray. In everything let your requests be made known to Him! He will withhold no good thing from you.

Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 4

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV).

In the second half of verse five the apostle says, “Remember the Lord is at hand” (v. 5b). While some interpreters have thought this to be a reference to the imminent return of Jesus, I believe along with the reformers that he is stating an obvious truth that we are not alone. John Calvin wrote: “…that the Lord is at hand, whose power can overcome their audacity, and whose goodness can conquer their malice. He promises that he will aid us, provided we obey his commandment. Now, who would not rather be protected by the hand of God alone, than have all the resources of the world at his command?” This becomes the basis of our reasonableness. You will not go undefended forever. The Lord bottles every tear you shed, and he will avenge you. False accusations won’t survive eternity. I’ve always imagined the day when all of the untruths are revealed for what they are. These lies, hurtful words, and malicious gossiping will be dealt with finally. It will be a wonderful moment of vindication. However, until then my comfort and gentleness can be rooted in the knowledge of the presence of the Lord now. I remember well the admonition of one of my favorite seminary professors, Bill Tolar, when he cautioned us against “leashing the Lord.” His reference was in our coming to the defense of the Lord and the truth of Scripture. He said, “If you have a lion walking beside you, why would muzzle and leash him? Turn Him loose! He is fully capable of defending Himself and you!” We should also take caution with this truth. The Lord sees everything you say and do. He won’t condone any actions we take to defame others, even if we think they deserve it. Praise the ever-present one who never returns evil for evil and who will never repay us as we deserve.

Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 3

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV).

The second step in resolving conflict that the Apostle Paul lists is found in his command to “let your reasonableness be known to everyone” (v. 5a). Simply put, our goal should be achieving an attitude and practice of being the most open and teachable party. I like Jesus’ teaching on the topic. One writer paraphrases that teaching as “Publicly amputate your own optical log before attempting any speck-removal surgery” (cf. Matthew 7:3). I’d be less verbally precise and say: Keep your cool; don’t play the part of the wounded critter by rushing into public announcements, blog posts, Face Book rants, or back-alley conversations that slam your rivals. Of course, there are those issues that demand a measured, Scripturally supported answer that may even elicit a conversation or debate. After all, there are plenty of debatable issues among Christians. These are those valid topics on which reasonable believers disagree. However, the life of a believer ought to be marked by freedom from judgment and condemnation because of the work of Jesus on the cross, so we should give one another a wide berth. This does mean we cannot tolerate any part of our life that would resemble hatred of others. Hatred can find no place in the body of Christ and we must be relentless on this front. The Bible warns that there will come a time when the love of many will grow cold and that people will fall away, betray, and hate one another (cf. Matthew 24:10-13). Jesus is describing a time of spiritual and interpersonal ugliness that permeates even the visible church. Just this ought to drive us to be reasonable in our relationships with others. The key is in the separation of sin from sinner. We can accomplish this position only when we recognize our own failures and short-comings. I simply cannot speak with the same authority as Jesus on every topic. Sometimes we just need to find that point of agreement, even if it is in the disagreement. Be reasonable!

Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 2

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV). The first tactic the Apostle Paul mentions is to “rejoice in the Lord always” (v. 4). While I have included the entire context in our reading today, the key to this first step is stated without fanfare, simply put. While it is simple it is also counterintuitive. So, the apostle repeats it a few words later. It is a verb that means to feel or show great joy or delight. Some synonyms for this verb are: happiness, pleasure, joy, gladness, elation, delight, elation, cheer, jubilation, euphoria, delirium, ecstasy, rapture, transports of delight, exuberance, exultation, glory, triumph, celebration, revelry, merrymaking, festivity, or feasting.

When the floor drops out from under you, your best friend hates you, rumors multiply, people misunderstand, and the public mixes up the facts, you’re probably not having much fun. Trust me. I’ve been there. I still have the front page newspaper clipping to prove it! As a young pastor of the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, I was approached by one of the ladies in the church who had recently been certified in a lady’s aerobic class designed to combine exercise, Bible Study, and fellowship for ladies. You must also know this took place in the late 70’s; dancing of any kind was not tolerated well in Baptist churches of that era. An enterprising reporter of the daily paper thought it would be eye-catching to use the headline “Dancing Goes Underground at the First Baptist Church.” By the way, I should mention the exercise sessions were held three steps below ground level in the fellowship hall, thus the “underground” reference. It did cause quite a stir, and a special called deacon’s meeting to investigate this “scandalous activity” (insert dripping sarcasm). After the dust settled, and more than one headache, the activity continued with strict guidelines insuring privacy and “purity of heart.” I can tell you those meetings were not fun for me. On more than one occasion I just wanted to throw up my hands in surrender However, I began learning the lesson that joy, real happiness, is possible only by remembering that joy is primarily about what God has done for me (cf. Philippians 2:1-11). Joy is the byproduct of a belief that difficult situations have a good purpose (cf. Philippians 1:18-21). The goal is not to win; the goal is to rejoice in the Lord always!

Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 1

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:1-3 ESV).

Today is Monday, August 5th. I mention that not that it is a “secret” that I typically write the Morning Devotionals ahead of publishing, but so that you may have a perspective in the next few days as we travel this particular path. I will be examining the issue of conflict resolution according to the Scripture. Recent events in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, have reenergized several seemingly linked issues. The voices from both sides of the issues have already begun to shout their positions across a void of pain and grief. Blame is flying in all directions: easily accessible guns; a mental health crisis; white nationalists spreading hatred; a 24/7 digital culture run amok; and, some even blaming a president who rallies supporters with alleged racist rants, or the opposite of a group of seemingly socialistic legislators who gather more support with the fear-mongering tactics so often surrounding immigration. It looks like two dominant rams squaring off against one another in a show of dominance, butting heads. Nothing is really solved, and the resulting headaches are entirely predictable and preventable. While I have no desire to speak to any of these issues in this format, I do want to address a root problem that has existed since the time of Adam and Eve. We see it most prominently played out in the killing of Abel by his brother, Cain. That scene has been repeated so many times throughout the millennia since as to become incalculable. We simply aren’t good at conflict resolution. In our reading today we are introduced to two women from the Philippian Church, Euodia and Syntyche. It seems they had a disagreement so severe and public the entire church knew about it, and word reached the Apostle Paul (v. 2). These women had once been ministry partners, but now they sat on opposite sides of some issue. They couldn’t resolve their concerns on their own, so Paul employed a third party, his “true companion” (possibly Luke), to lend aid (v. 3). Far from changing the subject, Paul coached his true companion over the next few verses on the process of mediation and reconciliation, providing steps to resolution. We will explore those over the next few days. Today I would encourage you to apply a generous amount of restraint and understanding to those with opposing voices to your own. Believe me, the “headache” from the fight isn’t worth it!

Fighting for Faith - Pt 4

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:7-9 ESV).

The last suggestion I have as we discover ways to Fight for Faith is to take advantage of sunshine. There is an intimate connection between the body and soul. The body often charts the way forward and the soul follows in the wake. When your body is deeply sick, it pulls your soul downward, like a weight tied around the ankle. I’ve found that one of the most effective methods for increasing my faith begins with my body. When I exercise or go for a walk or sit in the sunshine, my body feels better. Blood and oxygen pump through my body, refreshing and nurturing it. When I feel better, I think more clearly and see things more accurately. It is also true that when I think more clearly, I can more easily process and embrace God’s promises. When I embrace God’s promises, my faith surges. Charles Spurgeon, who often fought depression, said: A day’s breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours’ ramble in the beech woods’ umbrageous calm, would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind’s face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is the next best. God loves you even though you don’t feel it. He can handle your life even when you can’t. If you’re depressed, embrace the sunshine. Go for a walk or a jog. Sit on your deck and feel the warmth on your face. Drink your coffee and watch the sun rise. You won’t feel like it. You’ll want to hole up in the darkness of your room or stay in bed. But just twenty minutes in the sun can do wonders for the darkened brain and the sunken soul. Ultimately, your hope in depression hinges on Jesus. He’s holding onto you even when it feels like you’re free falling. You may be in the dark, but your Shepherd is walking right beside you. He knows what it’s like to be overwhelmed by grief and swallowed by bleakness. Your grip on life may falter, but his grip on you won’t.