Strength is not only for Popeye and spinach

6. July 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a wonderful gift to the church. Yet this section of chapter four is threatened by  hallmark. We find common mantras in this section, and we find ourselves smiling and nodding as we hear this passage, possibly thinking. Yes yes, all these things I’ve heard and I have known. Perhaps someone has quoted one of these verses unfairly to you, to get you to stop complain or to tough it out… Either way I hope that today we can take a look together at these common and familiar passages and find something extraordinary and life giving in the text.

   This letter is written when Paul is in Jail, and facing death. Despite his imprisonment he is joyous and overwhelmingly positive. (ugh like that person who gets up every morning and takes a happy pill) This particular letter is nicknamed the Paul’s letter of Joy. The words joy and rejoicing appear more here in this letter than in the entire corpus of Paul’s writing. But he is in prison. He is facing death. He even argues in this letter that he wonders if death by the Romans is a better option for his life, because then he could now be with Christ. Yet he remains in joy, for the betterment of sharing Christ in the world.  He offers advice for living a life of faith, what and who to watch out for, what to seek, and finding peace.  A very important letter in 4 small chapters.

Our passage today comes from the latter part of the letter, as Paul brings his writing to a close. He offers advice to two woman and leaders in the church who are in disagreement or some kind of squabble. *Which clearly a modern church would know nothing about

            Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone, the lord is near.  Let your gentleness be known, let your reasonableness be known some translations say. Your gentleness, Share it, let it be known to those around you. For Christ is near.

 He goes on to say, Do not worry about anything, but in everything. Wait wait wait What?!? Do not worry about anything? Has Paul met the church? Worry is like an American pastime. What about my bills, what about my children, what about school, what about parking, what about … fill in the blank. And Paul’s advice is “don’t worry” obviously the man didn’t have a mortgage.

But maybe he knows us better than we give him credit for. Maybe worry is something that people have fought since Paul’s time. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.  Let your request be made known to God. Through prayer and supplication. Share your gentleness with others and share your requests with God.

And the peace which surpasses all understanding will GUARD your hearts and minds. It is not a peace that makes you sing kombiya, or overcomes you where you love everyone. This is a peace that Guards your heart and your mind. It protects you. It sets up a barrier. Because you prayed, and you made your request known to God. And then that peace protects you from worry. This is a peace that surpasses all understanding. That guards us.

            But it does not say that if you pray then God will give you what you want, or exactly what you ask for, or make you stop worrying, or fit it. When you make your requests known, you give them to the universe, to God, then peace guards you. Peace beyond understanding.

            Paul says, Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, Think on these things. Not on the worry. Not on the distractions.  Think about these things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me Paul Says, and the God of peace will be with you.

            Because when you pray, the peace which surpasses understanding guards you. But when you think. When you think about what is True, Hournorabul, Just, Pure, Pleasing, Commendable, Exalant, and worthy of Praise. God will be with you. Present with you.

Now Paul moves from this point in his letter to thank the Philippians for the ways they supported him, financially and otherwise. He thanks them for their concern, and wishes he could have let them know. He says, not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned you be content with whatever that I have. That’s a hard statement. He says,  I know what it is to have little, and I know what is it to have plenty in any circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I CAN DO ALL THING THOURGH THE ONE WHO STRENTHENS ME.

 This is familiar to us. Right? But I want to remind you that Paul is talking about need, when he uses it. Paul secret to having plenty, or not enough, going hungry or being fed. His secret of being content in that is “I can do all things though the one who strengthens me.” That’s what he’s talking about being content and satisfied.

But I think there is a reason this passage is so familiar to us: it is because it has other implication in our world. I can do all things through the one who strengthens me. That is huge.

But I think this verse gets misused, and trivialized. I can do all things… that’s egoistical. It is that mindset that was used in building the tower of Babel, it’s that mindset that pharaoh used to run his kingdom, it’s that mindset that gets us into trouble. It’s that mindset where we get to big for out britches.

When I was in college I switched my major and I struggled. I have dyslexia and disgraphc. And I had chosen political science. Lots and lots of reading. It took me hours to do my reading. And after four hours or so I would still have to do my other homework. My cohorts in the department would take maybe two hours, and during that time they would have done all of their reading all of their homework, and written a paper. And they were off to play. And here I was, nose in a book and angry. When the test came around, even though I had worked harder, even though I had worked longer, I wouldn’t get a better grade. It made me so mad. One day I was on the phone with my mom, complaining about this exact plight.

And my mom says “Honey, do you know you will never be a professional basketball player?!”

“what” I said.

“do you know that? That you will never play professional basketball?”

“umm I guess so,…”

She says to me “honey you’re 5’2 and you don’t have much athletic skill… So you will never be a personal basketball player. God didn’t make you that way”

And she was right, ZERO Athletic skill, just ask Elizabeth Grantham. I’m 5’2, I am dyslexic, I am disgraphic, I was not made to be a super star reader or student. But I was made with a heart that perseveres, a freakish ability to concentrate for long periods of time. I was made with courage to step up to a challenge that I may not get first place at, but I could do.

            Friends I share this story in hopes that we can begin to think about our limits, and accept them. And know that God does not expect us to do things we are not cabibul of. But don’t let being realistic, blind you from the way your being strengthened

 I think another way we are misguided when we read this verse. We hear, “I can do all things”, and we think that means because we believe in Jesus we can be superman or wonder woman. Or we hear “all things”, and we think we alone, are supposed to do ALL things.  

We do don’t we? Load up our schedules, burn the candle at both ends. Take it all on by ourselves. This passage does not call us to do all things, it does not ask us to do everything. But it does challenge us to focus on what is before us. Is this a time of need? Or is this a time of plenty? What is currently before you one thing at a time?  And we can do those things though the one who strengthens us.

            But What if that “all things” is something that you really don’t think you can do.

What if you don’t think you can carry on?

What if you don’t think you can leave an abusive relationship?

What is you don’t think you can speak out? 

What if you don’t think you can get off drugs or quit dinking?

What if you don’t think you can really help someone in need?

 You don’t think you can change the status quo?

 Or you don’t know if you have the ability to love, the way your asked to?

Or what if its smaller than that…

Let’s say, you don’t think you can sit through one more news broadcast, about the gulf?

You don’t know if you can be kind anymore, to someone who has never been kind to you?

 You don’t know if you can pray anymore? Or pray about that thing you have been prying about for a long time?

Or if you have the strength to smile, because you hurt, or your annoyed?

What then preacher lady?!?!? And don’t give me this cheep answer, I can do all things though the one who strengthens me!

But my question to you is what is strength? What does it mean to be strengthened? Is strong the ability to lift a house? To eat a can of spinach and punch a guy out? Is it force?

Or Is is strength, Humility?

IS strength perseverance?  

Is strength the ability to do something that’s not necessarily comfortable?

Dose strength empowers us, to live better, to turn the other cheek and to walk away, to ask for help?

Dose strength help us lift heavy burdens?

 Dose strength free us from our fears?

Is strength the ability to name… Name the world you live in? Name the things that imprison your life, and faith?  The ability to name where it hurts? And where the world hurts?

Is strength the ability to hand your worries over?

 Is strength knowing that you cannot do it on your own?

And then using that strength however you define it. And then to continue working in the kingdom. With Prayer, peace, and God By our sides. (beat)

It’s like Popeye. Ok, Ok bear with me.

Paul is in prison when he writes this letter, facing death. He has reached a point where he doesn’t half to worry about the others things. He simply has to face his days, and possibly the end of his life with his head held high. Because of this he has found peace. As well as strength, knowing that he God is with him. The world cannot beat down on him anymore. Because he has found joy. He has strength to overcome his prison, and death.

 He encourages these women in the church who are fighting. To have peace and strength to overcome their differences. Much like how we can do so also.

Popeye, (and I know this seems silly) in every episode Popeye gets beat down. I mean he gets whooped up on.  Completely beat up by the guy that is bigger than him. There is often other stuff in his world that is getting him down. Then he reaches in his pocket, eats the spinach and suddenly he can do anything. He can take on the things that are beating him down; he suddenly is able to overcome everything that is challenging him.

The same thing happened to Israel. It’s the same thing they talk about in that psalm.  They got beat down and beat down, and then they changed their perspective and focused to God. And they were suddenly ok. With their prayers heard.

That’s what I’m asking you to do… change your perspective. Keep this passage in you pocket… But mean it. Shift your focus. So that you pray, and peace can graded you. And you do half to worry. You can things on the things that are good, true, pure, so that God is with you. And then you can find your strength.

Because friends, this life is not a hallmark card. WE need this. It’s just like how Paul is talking about need.

 I think the need, is that we need… a God that strengthens us, to do the things that are set before us. SO that we can breathe, and have joy, and know that we are not alone. Amen.

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