08: Formational Stability
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
Date: 60-62 AD
Writer: Apostle Paul
The Context
Paul is in custody in Rome, and he writes a letter to a small group of believers in Philippi. Paul first established the community in Corinth around 50 CE. At the time, Corinth was the capital of a Roman province in a strategic location, benefited from commerce, was well populated, and had a successful arts/trade community. Within the congregation however, most were poor. There were a small few with wealth. Therefore, divisiveness was an issue within the community, fueled by arrogance and abuse of the poor. The small Christian community would have been surrounded by constant reminders of the Rome's power, glory, emperor, and its gods. Paul writes to help that community stay focused on the Gospel in the midst of Roman influence.
The Book
Paul writes to affirm love and unity. The story arc focuses on thanksgiving, prayer, the power of the Gospel, living in community, joy, peace and gratitude. Paul writes to teach and encourage the congregation to continue to model their lives after Jesus. He seeks to "further God's work in the community so that they may embody the Gospel while in the midst of Roman Philippi."
The Text
Chapter 4 begins with words of encouragement, then Paul thanks the community for their gifts, and he shares a final greeting of grace. In Verses 6-7, he affirms the temptations of their present environment, and reminds them to bring their concerns before God in prayer and thanksgiving, assuring them that God will grant them peace and enable them to stand firm in their beliefs.
The Relevance
This text is a guiding light within the formational journey because it reminds us of the power of God's presence and peace. Walking in the way of Jesus can be a challenge in real life, as we are "in the world yet not of it." (John 17) But, Paul reminds us earlier in the chapter (Verse 4) to rejoice. For Paul, Rejoice is "the fitting response of those who know the value of fellowship with Chris." The key to tapping into God's fullness of joy and peace, however, is prayer and thanksgiving. So, we must maintain a joyful and peaceful heart in order to further God's work in our live and the Kingdom.
The Witness
This part of my formational journey is best described as "praying without ceasing." After a while, I was always in prayer and always listening for God's voice during most moments of the day. Everything felt very stable. Work was good, home was good, my daughter was good, seminary was good. God supplied all of our needs. I was anxious for nothing. I took everything to the Lord in prayer, every single decision, even the most mundane things, so that He could light my feet and direct our path. Also, I had this deep sense of peace -- a peace that I'd never felt before in my life. It kept my heart and my mind in a way that I had never known before. I could take everything to Lord in prayer and He would answer.
During this season, I also began to practice spiritual disciplines and develop a series of "blueprints" for my life. These blueprints helped me to define areas of life that were important to me, set goals within those areas, and helped to keep me focused on the journey of development in those areas. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was creating what I now know is called a "Rule of Life." Likewise, those blueprints helped to outline the blog topics found here on this website. A "Rule of Life" is a helpful tool to create intentionality around discovering areas of life that are unbalanced, and formulating a plan to sustain greater balance going forward. (If you would like to learn more about creating your own Rule of Life, take a look at the handouts in the Workshop section!)
To date, this season was probably the most stable stretches of my formational journey. In hindsight, one of the core teachings in this season was patience and fortitude. I was a full-time mother, student, and employee. Life was not easy by far. During the week, I ran to catch the train after classes so that I could to get home in time to see my daughter and put her to bed. After she was asleep it was time for homework! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" got me through many late nights of paper writing, and it still does. But God was with us, everyday and every night, covering us and keeping us, guarding our hearts and minds.
Resources
Attridge, The HarperCollins Study Bible
Gaventa, The New Interpreter's Bible One Volume Commentary
Harrelson, The New Interpreter's Study Bible
Powell, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary