Most people would agree that 2020 has been a stinker of a year. We gladly bid it farewell.
We are hoping that 2021 is better…but there are certainly no guarantees. In fact, the challenges we are currently facing may continue and some things may even worsen.
That is not pessimism but reality.
As each of us look toward the future, we all have to face the reality that life promises us no problem-free year…not even a problem-free day. Pain. Grief. Sickness. Conflict. Division. Corruption. Suffering. Tragedy. Death. These are things that confront us every day in the news and they won’t magically disappear on January 1st.
So how do we live in the midst of this reality?
How do we approach the beginning of a new year?
My resolution is joy.
No, not the paste-on-a-smile, superfical, fake social media kind of happiness but the deep, abiding, content, satisfied kind of joy that emanates outward, regardless of circumstances, from a heart at peace with God.
Paul describes this kind of joy in the book of Philippians…and Philippians 4:1-9 provides a summary of how to live a life of joy.
Of course, it is important to point out that Paul is not writing these words while sipping tea in a hammock in Tahiti. He is in a Roman prison, chained to a Roman guard, awaiting a trial before a Roman emperor (Nero) who, for all intents and purposes, is one of the most volatile, psychotic, deranged individuals in history. And this crazed dictator holds the power of life or death for the apostle Paul.
Yet Paul writes about joy.
I think we can learn something from him as we enter a new year.
So with this in mind, here are seven resolutions for 2021.
Resolved: To stand fast in the Lord (4:1).
Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
When I put my hope and confidence in the things of this world…whether that be the government, political leaders, the economy, medicine, my job, my health, my money, my possessions…then I am buliding my life on shifting sand.
All of these things…though important…are temporal and can be changed. rendered powerless, or taken away in an instant.
Joy begins with standing fast in the Lord…making Him your Rock, your fortress, your strength, your refuge.
When fear, anxiety, or anger strike,I need to check my foundation, to see what I am building my hope upon, where I am putting my confidence.
Resolved: To seek to resolve any ongoing conflicts (4:2-3).
I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
Joy is all about relationships…relationship with God and relationship with others.
Thus, if you are letting a conflict fester or feeding your soul with resentment, then joy becomes an impossibility.
In the midst of his treatise on joy, the apostle Paul stops to resolve a specific conflict in the church…a conflict that was prolonged enough and evident enough to be noticed by others.
Now not every conflict can be resolved…reconciliation is not always possible. But being humble enough to forgive and to seek peace, if possible, is always an option.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18)
Don’t carry a grudge from 2020 into 2021. Start the year with a clear conscience and a clean slate.
Resolved: To rejoice in the Lord (4:4).
Abraham Lincoln once said: Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
In many ways, joy is a choice.
It is choosing to rejoice…choosing to give thanks…choosing to praise God for who He is and for the hope that you have in Christ.
It is an odd fact of human nature that we often choose to focus on our hurts…fan the flames of our grievances…feed our bitterness…use our wounds to manipulate or control others…find satisfaction in playing the victim…wallow in self-pity.
Life is hard. Life is unfair. The hurts are real.
But how we choose to respond to them and how we choose to perceive them is up to us.
Regardless of what life may throw your way, you can still find joy in the Lord.
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
Life is a gift. And every day is a chance to give glory to the One who has given you breath and holds your very life in His hands.
Resolved: To let gentleness govern my relationships (4:5).
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
The Greek word for gentleness (epieikes) is one of those words that is simply hard to translate. It can mean moderation, gentleness, graciousness, or forbearance. Perhaps the best definition I have seen is “sweet reasonableness.”
It is the opposite of contentiousness, always picking a fight, always complaining or upset about something, never listening to (or even inquiring about) the perspective of others.
It is interesting that Paul says “let your gentleness be known.” Paul assumes that every believer in Christ already has this quality. The question is, “Will it define the way that I live and interact with others?” Or do people see me as a complaining, contentious, crabby, or even cantankerous person?
If you don’t know, ask someone who will be honest with you…someone who has disagreed with you recently…what they think? It may be a humbling conversation…but perhaps a needed one.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)
Joy requires an attitude of graciousness, a sweet reasonableness in our relationships.
Resolved: To turn my anxiety into prayer (4:6-7).
Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible…but they don’t quite work the way we often want them to. We want a quick fix. Whenever we feel anxiety, we want to say a short prayer…and viola…the anxiety is all gone.
That is not what Paul is talking about.
He is describing a life of prayer…a life of dependence on God…a life of surrender…all in the context of a community of believers who love me, support me, and exhort me when needed.
Anxiety is a window into my heart. It reveals my foundation. It shows me what I fear the most. It exposes my desires. It tells me where my treasure is found.
Thus, when I feel anxiety, it is an invitation to be honest before God, to ask Him to search my heart, to give thanks for all the blessings that I have, to redirect my focus, to be vulnerable with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to acknowledge my complete dependence on Christ alone.
The peace comes in the surrender to Him.
Joy is the by-product.
Resolved: To fix my mind on better things (4:8).
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.
The battle for joy is a battle in the mind.
What do I focus on? What am I feeding my mind on a regular basis?
Many of us are angry, bitter, depressed, or anxious because we are feeding our minds a daily diet of angry, bitter, depressing, fear-producing news and media.
If I begin the day with my phone, the TV, or the newspaper before I take time to meditate on God’s Word, pray, and yield to the Spirit, then it is quite easy to guess where my priorities lie and what my attitude will be like during the rest of the day.
The first hour of your day is often the most important. Give it to the Lord. Give it to activities that refresh your mind. Give it to things that are honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
When you eat a good “mind breakfast,” it sets you up for a joyful day.
And then follow that up with healthy thinking throughout the day. Listen to praise music. Read excellent books. Find good podcasts. Watch better movies and TV shows. Filter the garbage on the internet.
This is the less-traveled pathway to joy.
Resolved: To follow through and do it! (4:9)
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
It is easy to talk a good game, the proof is in your actions.
Set a reasonable goal and follow through.
Give yourself some grace when you falter.
Saturate yourself with the unfailing love of Christ.
And make 2021 a year of living in joy!
