Click here for the Philippians 4:14-17 PODCAST
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. ~ Philippians 4:14-17
The Apostle Paul is a prisoner in Rome. According to v.14-17, the Believers in Philippi learned of a financial need that he had. So, they, out of love, send a man named Epaphroditus who comes all the way to Rome from Philippi to deliver a gift to Paul. It was a sacrificial gift. To add to this, the Philippians were fairly poor, they did not have much. What they did have, due to their accurate theology, they sacrificially shared with Paul.
People who have less give more because, having gone through their own struggles, they are more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. Others say that the poor give more because they require less to be happy. When we have just a little, we are thankful for what we have. But with every step we take up the ladder of success, abundance clouds our minds and gets us into a state of never being satisfied.
The verb translated “share,” in v.14, is related to the noun translated “partnership” in Phillipians 1:5, "because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." This noun is used of a business partnership. The enterprise Paul has in mind here is the spread of the gospel. And so, the Philippians partnered with Paul, financially, to advance the gospel.
When we suffer, we want to know that we are not going through it alone. Paul is suffering, but he’s not alone. The Philippians, through their partnership with Paul, are aiding him in the advancement of the gospel. Paul’s friends in Philippi knew what he was going through and they gave as God enabled them. It is the gospel that creates this kind of partnership.
When we seek to advance the gospel, we will often have to endure great hardship. When we support those in the trenches with our prayers and with our finances, we share in their troubles. Each and every supporter becomes an important person to the ministry, sharing in handling the obstacles.
The Apostle Paul sought the fruit that comes from the gift rather than the gift itself. He is not so excited about the money he received, which would have allowed him to buy the essentials that he needed to survive. This enabled him to be the most excited about the advancement of the gospel.
We know that Paul’s ministry was fruitful while he was in prison. The Gospel went forth, and the kingdom of God was advanced. Later, in Philippians 4:22, we learn that the Gospel had made its way into the household of Caesar, the highest echelon of society. Paul’s passion was fruitful ministry. Contentment comes from trusting in the providence of a sovereign God. It comes from being satisfied with Him who expresses Himself for the well-being of others.
Biblical contentment is the product of giving our hearts to the Lord on a daily basis, thus being defined by Him. As we give our hearts to Him, He gives His heart to us, and ministry becomes our second highest priority. No change in circumstances can take that from us. As long as we give ourselves to God to be used by Him, we can be truly content in knowing that our lives are being invested in that which impacts eternity for the good.
We will never know contentment until we give up designing our own agenda and lose ourselves in preoccupation with the the Lord's will and the well-being of others. Paul prayed in Philippians 1:9 which reads, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight." Contentment belongs to those who are not demanding that everything in life fit their personal agenda, who are more concerned with others than themselves.
In v.17, the Apostle shares his joy with the believers in Philippi because in v.10, we read, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” Paul wasn't most interested in the money, he was most interested that the believers in Philippi were growing in their heart relationship with the Lord Jesus and many were going from the darkness to the light. In this he was preoccupied with the well-being of the Philippians walk with the Lord. Paul was overjoyed because the Philippians gave sacrificially, enabling them to grow spiritually.
Like the Apostle Paul, the Philippians believers grew in their knowledge of the Lord because of their desperation for fellowship with Him. He became their daily bread. He was not their priority, He was the priority.
To help BYM, click here
