Notice the concern about disagreements among Christians expressed by Paul. Our names (as Christians) are written in the Book of Life! In the hymn, “Is My Name Written There?” – the last verse reads, “Yes! My name’s written there!” Can you say that with confidence right now? You can…by faith in the Lord Jesus. V. 4 – Joy – Rejoice – Thanks – Peace – Praise. Notice how often in Paul’s letters we find these words…and they should be a central part of our vocabulary too! V. 6 – Don’t worry. Am I expected to pray about everything? Really? Thank the Lord for all He has done for you. Ask yourself, do I do that often? V. 7 – The experience of God’s peace. What does that mean to me…now? V. 8 – The emphasis is on positive thinking. Is that my way of thinking? V. 11 – Being content in whatever situation you find yourself in is a challenge isn’t it? Am I willing to really try to live that way? V. 13 – A key verse. Maybe you’ll want to commit it to memory. It comes in handy. V. 15 – Paul’s appreciation for all the folks have done for him. Do I express thanks to others who help me so much in various ways? Finally, does this letter really sound like a letter written from a prison cell by a person not even guilty of anything…other than telling folks about Jesus? Can we not live more fully the life of praise? That would be a worthy goal, wouldn’t it?
Donald E. Pardun
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