NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 86
P h i l i pp i a n s 4 :7
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page 2070
rayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. m 7And the peace
p
of God, n which transcends all understanding, will g
uard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy — think about such things. 9Whatever you have l earned or received or heard
from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. o And the God of peace p will be with you.
Thanks for Their Gifts
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. q Indeed,
you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this be
cause I am in need, for I have l earned to be content r whatever the circumstances. 12I know
TRAINING
FOR THE
CHRISTIAN
LIFE
4:6
mEph 6:18
4:7
nIsa 26:3; Jn 14:27;
Col 3:15
4:9
oPhp 3:17
pRo 15:33
4:10
q2Co 11:9
4:11
r1Ti 6:6,8
Just as a great amount of training is needed for athletic activities, diligent training is required
for the Christian life. Such training takes time, dedication, energy, continued practice, and
vision. The Christian life takes commitment. And once we have committed, we will find that
the Holy Spirit begins to create in us the desire to play by the rules God has set in place (see
2 Timothy 2:5).
Reference
Metaphor
Training
Goal
1 Corinthians
9:2427
Race
Commit to strict
training in order to
get the prize.
We should train ourselves to run
the race of life, keeping our eyes
on Christ—the goal—and not get
ting sidetracked or slowed down.
When we do this, we will receive
the prize in Christ’s kingdom.
Philippians
3:1314
Race
Focus all your energy
toward winning the
race.
Living the Christian life demands
all our energy. We can forget
the past and strain to reach the
goal because we know Christ
promises eternity with him at
the race’s end.
1 Timothy
4:710
Exercise
Be in the practice
of spiritual exercise,
which will help you
grow in faith and
character.
Just as we must repeat exercises
to tone our bodies, we must also
steadily repeat spiritual exercises
to be spiritually fit. When we do
this, we grow closer to God, living
in accordance with his will. A life
lived this way will attract others to
Christ and pay dividends in both
this life and the next.
2 Timothy
4:7-8
Fight; Race
Fight the good fight
and persevere to
the end.
The Christian life is a fight against
evil forces from without and temp
tation from within. If we stay true
to God through it all, he promises
an end, a rest, and a crown.
impossible; everyone has worries on the job, at home, at school. But
Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry
less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray. Also
take time to listen to what God has to say to you, and thank him for all
the good work he has done—in your life, in your church, in your community, and in the world.
4:7 God’s peace is different from the world’s peace (see John 14:27).
True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or
in good feelings. It comes from trusting God to work everything out in
a way that is best for you as you fulfill your role in God’s work in the
world. Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and
we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against
the anxieties of this world that try to bring you down and keep your
focus off Jesus. When we trust God, he gives us a peaceful perspective
in a traffic jam, on a difficult phone call, in a troubled relationship, and
even when death draws near.
4:8 What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our
words, desires, and actions. Paul tells us to train our minds to focus
on thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Do you have problems with impure thoughts
and daydreams? Examine what you are putting into your mind through
movies, the Internet, books, conversations, television, video games, and
magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all,
read God’s Word and pray. Ask God to help you fill your mind with good
and pure thoughts. This takes practice, but it can be done.
4:9 It’s not enough to hear or read the Word of God or even to know it
well. We must also put what God is teaching us into practice. How easy
it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said. How easy
it is to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently. How
easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God’s Word is not enough. It must lead to obedience.
4:10-14 Are you content in any circumstances you face? Paul knew
how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need.
The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. Do you have
great needs, or are you discontent because you don’t have what you
want? Learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you