Don’t Worry, Be Hopi!

I saw a lady wearing a shirt that said, “Don’t Worry, Be Hopi!” I like that. However, in this article, we’ll use “Don’t worry, be happy," or better yet, joyful.

Are you struggling to maintain a good attitude and keep your joy? Is the sound of your own wheels driving you crazy? The Book of Philippians, written by the Apostle Paul in the Bible, enlightens us about some joy robbers we need to be aware of for a good quality of life. Let me offer you some thoughts on how to find joy, maintain it, and recover it if you've lost it. 

First, the word "joy" is mentioned 19 times in the Book of Philippians, and the word "mind" is mentioned 15 times. Joy is directly linked to our thoughts. Be careful how you speak to yourself, because you're listening. 

Joy is determined by how you process what is going on around you. People may become magnets for calamity simply by the way they process their thoughts. The answer? Change your thinking, perspective, and old ways of processing things. How? Let’s see how the apostle Paul did it!

First, Paul knew that joy and a person's strength or mental toughness are connected. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is your strength in Nehemiah 8:10. Paul understood this reality: If you lose your joy, you lose your strength. If you lose your strength, you can’t fight. If you can’t fight, you will lose the battle of what you're dealing with. Paul saw the big picture. He realized that forced joy was better than genuine depression. So don’t lose your joy.  

Second, Paul identifies his ‘circumstances’ as the joy robber he was dealing with. Here’s a list of his circumstances that he wrote to the Philippians church about. You're going to need a counselor after reading Paul’s circumstances. 

When he wrote Philippians, he was in jail. And, he's chained to a Praetorian guard, the special operations forces of the Roman Empire. These were highly trained, no-nonsense soldiers from Caesar’s very own household. While Paul was in jail, other preachers were preaching Christ for their own gain and tearing down Paul to build themselves up. They were doing this intentionally, knowing it would cause Paul even more pain and distress.

 Additionally, Paul was soon to give a defense of the Gospel to Emperor Nero. Nero is the emperor who crucified Christian people upside down and burned them. Additionally, almost all of Paul’s close friends had left him. The Philippian church members were turning back to their old ways of legalistic religion and falling into an obsessive love for material things. Finally, two women in the church at Philippi were embroiled in a heated dispute, creating factions within the church. Ouch! 

Now, I’m sure there are some of us with bigger problems than Paul’s, but not by much. Yet even during all these circumstances, Paul says, “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.” Philippians 1:12

Third, amid all his problems, he could see good coming out of it, and that’s powerful. He wasn’t focused on himself. He refused to become a victim. He had a reason for living, i.e., preaching the Gospel, and that reason for living was advancing. Knowing this, he engaged his will and chose to rejoice in the Lord. He was a thermostat, not a thermometer. Thermometers rise and fall in response to changes in temperature (circumstances). Thermostats click on the power when the temperature rises or falls. He knew from experience that when you are at the end of your rope, God and God’s power live there. 

Paul, even during these circumstances, never loses his joy, perspective, and godly attitude. His circumstances didn't dictate his reaction; he dictated his response to them, or at least his reaction to them. Paul saw the big picture. He knew there was always “the rest of the story.” I call this the “Yes, but…!”  

Fourth, Paul knew the power of “When you’re down to nothing, God’s up to something.” Here’s how God redeemed two of Paul’s circumstances as an example for you. Yes, Paul was in jail, but he points out that most of the “brethren in church” have far more courage to preach the Gospel now that he is in jail. There’s a strategy. Lock up the pastors, and their congregations will start speaking out about the Gospel even more. That’s not a bad strategy, unless you are a pastor. 

Paul goes on to tell the Philippians that “all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” Philippians 4:22. Those elite Roman guards from Caesar’s own household were becoming “saints,” or Christians. Paul wasn’t chained to the guards; the guards were chained to Paul. Paul had a captive audience. Those poor soldiers couldn’t escape that Holy Spirit-empowered, infectious Christian. 

Fifth: What’s Your Takeaway? What are you chained to? Circumstances? People? Material things? Worry? Low self-esteem? Not getting your way? Perhaps, like Paul, your circumstances are chained to you. Dire circumstances can be strongholds of opportunity. How? Let God redeem it. Don’t glance at the big picture; gaze at it. Paul tells us about the secret for us in Philippians 1:21. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

What does living mean to you? For Paul, to live was Christ first and joy first, the circumstances second. The results are joy, peace, perspective, and power beyond life’s ups and downs.