Do you plan to have a good year this coming year? Proverbs 23:7 tells us that “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Last year wasn’t exactly a cake walk for anyone. Covid lockdowns, that strapped many financially, and an election rife with major problems on the society front. The church wasn’t immune either. Well over one-half of the year, we were online only for our worship. We had financial pressures, illnesses, and pain wreaked havoc on many of the brothers and sisters in the church family, and the death angel knocked often. Still, through it all God showed Himself mighty. His grace is always more than enough no matter the problem or problems we face. Over the past few days while I was visiting my mother, I thought about the coming 2021 year. Questions flooded my mind. “Will this year be better than last year?” “Will we see more people saved this year?” “Will God be glorified by the church as He should?” Many others also popped into my mind. Joy is for Christians. It is like a ripe fruit on a tree. It hangs on a limb within arm’s reach and all you must do is take it. Joy is available in spite of our circumstances. Philippians is a letter about joy. I thought today I’d share five quick thoughts concerning joy in that early Philippian church and what we at Corinth Baptist Church should do and be this new year. Our focus will be Philippians 4:1-7.

  1. Stand Fast (v.1). Paul didn’t just admonish the Christians at Philippi to stand, but most of the letters to other churches included similar admonitions. Look up these companion verses from the NT. Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 6:13; I Corinthians 15:58; Colossians 4:12; II Thessalonians 2:15.
  2. Set Aside (v.2-3). Two ladies in the church had gotten in a fuss. What it was over, we don’t know. Paul rebuked them, telling them to be of the same mind. Get on the same page in your service to the Lord and the church. You aren’t in this all by yourself. You are a part of a group, a group of “yoke-fellows.” Lay aside preferences: Paul admonished this faction in the church.
  3. Spirit of Jesus (v. 4-5; 2:5-8). He was humble, taking on the form of a servant. His joy came from fellowship with the Father. His life was one of ‘moderation’ (v.5), which means self-control. In 2021, one of my prayers personally is to have more “self-control.” Why? The Lord is at hand. Jesus could show up at any moment.
  4. Supplications Often (v.6). We aren’t to be anxious about things. That’s tough, but we can certainly do it or we wouldn’t have been told to behave this way. Many years ago, I was taught you can worry, or you can pray, but you can’t do both at the same time. We pray about everything, we do it with thanksgiving, and we expect the Lord to answer according to his will.
  5. Satisfaction Promised (v.7). “Keep” has a synonym, “to guard.” The peace that comes from God is a guard for our hearts and minds. When troubles come to your address this year, you can have peace. Trouble arrives in different packages. Rebellious children, selfish spouses, failing marriages, diseases in multiple forms, and financial reversal are only a few things Christians face. The peace of God is beautiful. It is yours if you choose it.

None of us know what will happen today much less tomorrow or the weeks ahead. But for the Christian we don’t have to be anxious, the Lord is already there. I plan to have a joyous year this year. Will you come along with me? Will we show the world Christians that ooze joy in the midst of the calamities of life? May this New Year be one filled with joy for you, your family, and the church family.