Defiant Joy: A Study On PhilippiansIsampula

DAY 2: JOY THAT DEFIES CYNICISM

Paul possesses a defiant joy, and the first surprising thing it defies is cynicism. Cynicism is the hardness, bitterness, and jadedness of expecting the worst in people, and Paul had every reason to be cynical. He was hurt, betrayed, disappointed, and abandoned by other Christians. We read about this in Philippians 1.

Background

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.” (v.15-17)

A group of “rival” Christians were rejoicing in Paul’s imprisonment. They viewed ministry work as a competition, and Paul’s setback was their gain. 

This sort of betrayal could have easily turned Paul into a cynical man, but he resisted the temptation to grow bitter and hard, and he was able to do so for two reasons.

The first comes in verse 18:

“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”

Paul simply rejoices that Christ is preached because, at the end of the day, his life and his mission were never about him. 

This is the first way Paul resisted cynicism, by elevating Christ instead of himself. When our primary focus is giving God glory instead of gathering our own glory, it sets us free. We have nothing to prove, so long as we can point people to Jesus. That is why Paul could suffer betrayal, in chains, alone, facing death, and STILL rejoice that Christ was preached. That was his sole purpose.

There is a second way Paul resisted cynicism: by having appropriate expectations of people. Paul knew that people were capable of great good, but he also knew that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)  Paul saw people the way they were: full of good things, but also broken.

When we expect too much of people, we become hurt when they fail. But when we see people as they are, we are not shocked by their sin. Instead, we know that broken people do broken things.

This is the first secret to Paul’s amazing freedom and joy, and in our cynical age, it’s one way we can truly stand out.