Take Heart

Last year I read through the whole Bible in one year for the first time. This year, I’m slowing down my pace again because of how important it is to meditate on what I read. And this morning I noticed something that I hadn’t before in Philippians, even though I just read it a month ago! It’s a lesson from the life of Paul.

If you know any verse in Philippians 4, it is probably verse 13: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” At first it may sound empowering, like God will help you accomplish your goals for the day, no matter how ambitious. But in context you can see it’s really about endurance: whether I have a lot or a little, God is faithful and will see me through. If you back up a few verses, all that becomes clear.

But look what comes after that: it’s a particular example of how this worked out for him. Paul writes:

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Paul, the great apostle, arguably one of the most influential people in the history of the church and even the world, was once passed over. No one wanted to support him in the early days. They had other priorities. Paul normally did not ask for money and worked at making tents to support himself so that he wouldn’t be a burden on the churches. But when Paul did share that he had a financial need, there was just one church that answered the call time and again. That’s all.

Now, I could get into the historical backgrounds of the Philippian church versus the Thessalonian church and others, but that’s beside the point. Paul could say elsewhere that the Macedonians were generous even when their circumstances made it extremely difficult (2 Cor. 8:1-5). The circumstances only matter a little. The point is for one reason or another, Paul’s needs weren’t a priority to his fellow believers.

This is a great encouragement to me. We know from the life of Christ that we will receive opposition from the world. Just as they rejected Christ, we can expect unbelievers to reject us, too. Hardship comes as no surprise. But it can be discouraging when you feel like your trouble comes from inside the church. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be.

And we know sin can creep in anywhere and mess things up in even the best of churches, but in Paul’s example here it’s not even that simple. You can’t blame sin for this. Paul was simply passed over. He wasn’t a priority. And if you’ve ever been in that situation, you know there’s a temptation to wonder whether this is how God sees you. Maybe you’re passed over because God has decided you’re not worth it. Maybe no one sees the value in you because there’s really none to be seen. If you were just better, smarter, stronger, more charismatic, more spiritual, then things would be different.

But notice: Paul doesn’t go there. Paul doesn’t take it to heart. Paul doesn’t wonder if he’s failed God or wasted his ministry. Instead, he knows how to endure being forgotten because God is his strength. He knows that when no one shows up to meet his needs, God will still carry him. He knows that even though he has sacrificed to build these churches, he doesn’t need to let their silence get to him, to read between the lines. He is secure in Christ. He can even go hungry because Christ strengthens him.

We see this elsewhere in Paul’s writings, too. The other apostles were slow to accept him and approve him (in part for good reason: he had been their enemy). He pressed on. When his leadership was challenged in Corinth, Paul made it clear: he doesn’t care how anyone judges him, Christian or not (1 Cor. 4:3-5). God alone is his judge. Paul had set his heart on God, trusted God with his whole life, and even the indifference, judgment, or hesitation by churches and their leaders could not discourage him.

A friend of mine recently told me about some of the past heartache he endured in being let go unfairly from a church. He told me it was ok: he was working for Jesus, not for them. That thought really challenged me. Isn’t the church God’s ambassador? How could he so easily separate the voice of God from the voice of God’s people? Isn’t the Holy Spirit there?

In seminary, I was cautioned against the kind of cavalier attitude that says it’s all about me and Jesus. I even wrote about the way it was challenging me to rethink our college ministry’s theme at the time. And there are dangers there to be sure. Sometimes we can be so sure of ourselves that we miss what God is doing. Sometimes we need the community to help us with our blind spots. Sometimes we need correction and even discipline. Nothing I’m saying here changes that.

But Paul reminds us that it’s not always the case. Sometimes you can be doing all the right things and still get missed by God’s people. The voice of the local church is not the voice of God. The circumstances you face as part of life in the church is not the verdict of God.

Today, if you’re a Christian who feels lost, missed, passed over, unappreciated by the people who should “get it” the most, remember that it’s nothing new. Don’t read too much into it. Yes, in a perfect world we would all be on the same page, but that’s not how life is. God is your strength. God sees. Be humble enough to receive correction where it’s needed. Don’t be arrogant or quarrelsome. But at the same time, don’t interpret life’s challenges as God’s judgment. Not even in the church. Take heart.