Power To Survive

In the fourth chapter of Philippians in the New Testament, Paul is giving us his prescription for victory. He never said it would be easy, but he did say it was possible. "Stand firm" he said. "Have no anxiety about anything", he went on to say. "Whatsoever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious, think about these things", was his next advice, and finally, he shared his secret on how to be content.

How do we survive life's sadness, and sufferings, and trials? You think good, think victory, think health, and think peace.

The story is told about two men out in a boat on a stormy day when the waves were violent. The one man was swept over‑board. The other man grabbed for him, and caught hold of his hair. But the man's hair‑piece came off in his hands. And then he grabbed and caught hold of the man's arm, but his mechanical arm came off in the struggle. In desperation, the rescuer cried out, "My God, if you don't stick together, I'll never be able to save you!"

And so, we who name the name of Christ, must stick together, we must stand firm. More than that, we must face the future without anxiety, believing that "the Lord is at hand" and that He walks with us, and we are not alone. We have an anti‑dote for fear. We have a cure for the "butterflies in our stomach". It is the power of positive thinking. It is faith at work.

But there is no victory, if we allow our minds to get cluttered up with hateful and evil thoughts. "If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, we are to think about these things." Unfortunately, our newspapers, our T.V., and the messengers of the secular world, flood our minds with violence, and immorality. The only way to reduce the garbage, is to increase the positive thrust of that which is good and honorable, and lovely and gracious.

There is a beautiful song that goes: "turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace."

And how does "contentment" come to us? Katherine Marshall gave the illustration of the great Clydesdale horses moving through their intricate paces, through the diligence of good trainers. These gigantic horses were called "gentle under the reigns" So also, Mrs. Marshall said we too must learn to become "gentle under (His) reigns." There are testings and difficult experiences. And we survive life's sadness, and sufferings, by somehow believing that "God will supply our every need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)