e-vo for December 9

Dearest e-votees-

As we draw near the halfway mark of Advent I hope that your preparations have been holy and good. I pray that the days ahead for all of us would be full of joy and lacking anxiety.

Peace,
Karl

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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7, NRSV

Paul offers three positive exhortations and one prohibition.

We are to rejoice. This is not the same thing necessarily as to be happy but we are to find joy. Not all circumstances draw smiles from us (Paul’s life was no bed of roses) but it is possible with God’s help to be joyful no matter the circumstance. That was Paul’s testimony. Would that it would be our testimony too.

We are to be gentle with others. This is not the same thing as being a pushover or a doormat but we are to approach others in gentle ways. Not everyone is as sturdy as they appear. They have weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That was Paul’s testimony. Would that we would see the frailty in others and treat them as the treasures fashioned in God’s image that they are. We are earthen vessels with treasures of immeasurable worth inside. So are our neighbors.

We are to seek our desires through God with thanksgiving and prayer. This is not the same thing as treating God as a divine gumball machine—pop in a prayer and out pops the desired result. Not every prayer gets the green light. Some are fraught with sin and injurious to us or others. Paul didn’t get his prayer to have the thorn in his flesh granted. Not all of our prayers will be affirmatively answered either. We are called to pray and be thankful but we do much better when we let God’s wisdom drive the answers.

We are not to worry. This is not the same as being inattentive and negligent and uninterested. We are to pour ourselves into life with passion. This draws us to have concerns and issues. This stokes our emotions and our cares. We are not served well when we let those things blossom into worry and anxiety. God knows our every need and will provide for us in all circumstances. That was Paul’s testimony. Would that we could speak those words too.


God help us rejoice. Help us make our way through this world gently. Help us pray with thanksgiving and humility. Help us not worry but trust that you will indeed finish what you began in us and will provide for us—all along the way—our daily bread. Amen.