Daily PresenceSample

A condemned Texas inmate about 20 years ago had his belly on his mind when he turned in the following request for his last meal: “Chef salad (any dressing except oil and vinegar), two bacon cheeseburgers all the way (cut the onions), deep-fried home fries (with chili powder on top), pitcher of fruit-flavored milkshake, two Scotch eggs (boiled and packed in a sausage roll, battered and deep-fried and served with syrup), slice of pie.”

What an indulgence at the doorstep of eternity! Contrast that death row inmate’s flesh-centered gluttony to Paul’s outlook in Philippians, though. Paul was a prisoner when he wrote to the Philippians and likely suspected that his own execution was near. In spite of those grim circumstances, though, we find some of the most hopeful and encouraging messages from all of Paul’s writings in this brief “epistle of joy,” as the letter has been described.

Paul’s outlook in Philippians truly must be the gold standard for faith. Here was one whose main reason for wanting out of prison was not to save his skin but to resume his apostolate. He was torn between wanting the freedom to preach on one hand, but on the other wanting to face the executioner for the gain of eternity. Life or death? Paul was a winner all the way!

It’s unlikely that we will face a life and death dilemma as grave as Paul’s, so we thank God for our freedom. In the cultural milieu of the Roman Empire, though, Paul wasn't as privileged. So our best response to his example would be to embrace the attitude he calls for near the end of the letter in 4:8: “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.”

If we individually and as a church collectively commit our courses to cultivating these Christlike virtues, joy will break out as contagion in our fellowship, and many in our community will follow us into God’s presence by the witness of our character.

May God will lead us to that higher plane!