4 Attitudes to Maintain Your Joy

Identifying the 4 Attitudes of Joy
​in Philippians

Last month, we looked at some thieves of our joy in 4 Ways to Take Back Your Joy. Do you remember them? Have you encountered them this month? They could manifest in circumstances, people, things, or worry. Or maybe you found another one that isn’t stated in this list. The important takeaway from the first part of our study is to identify the things that steal our joy and seek God’s help to combat those thieves with His Word and renewing our minds. I believe that Paul lays out for us four attitudes, one from each chapter of Philippians, that can help you maintain your joy.[1] Let’s take a quick survey of these chapters as they relate to our attitudes and thinking!

1. The Single Mind (Philippians 1)
   Paul begins this letter to the church at Philippi focusing on how to have a single mind toward the things of God rather than allowing circumstances to dictate our joy. James says it this way, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Have you ever been in that place of instability when your heart and mind are governed by your circumstances? It is the job of every believer to cultivate the single mind toward the things of Christ. Paul explains his unbelievably difficult circumstances in this first chapter, but he did not allow his circumstances to dictate his joy. He was focused on living for Jesus Christ. Remember in this book, he is a prisoner of Rome, but he saw his situation differently. He calls himself “a prisoner of Jesus Christ” in Ephesians 3:1. Philippians 1:13 calls his current imprisonment his “bonds in Christ.” He was not worried about defending his circumstances and his innocence. He was focused on “the defence of the Gospel” (Phil. 1:17). “He did not look at Christ through his circumstances; rather, he looked at his circumstances through Christ—and this changed everything.”[2]
   
   Do you struggle with the single mind? Are your circumstances clouding your ability to see Christ with that single focus? Take some time to study Philippians 1. Wiersbe simply outlines the chapter this way for the Christian who is seeking the single mind:
   A single-minded Christian is focused on the fellowship of the Gospel (1:1-11).
   A single-minded Christian is focused on the furtherance of the Gospel (1:12-26).
   A single-minded Christian is focused on the faith of the Gospel (1:27-30).
   
   Let your single mind work for you and not against you in the circumstances God brings to your life.
   
   
2. The Submissive Mind (Philippians 2)
   This chapter helps us find the submissive mind instead of allowing people to steal our joy. The theme of the chapter is found in Philippians 2:3 – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” This mentality is antithetical to all thinking in our world today. We live in a “me first” society. It starts in the lives of infants and toddlers and, without God’s help, does not get any better in children, teens, and adults. It is not natural to put others before ourselves. Paul is illustrating the simple children’s song that tells us to put Jesus first, then others, then you to spell JOY! The natural irritation with people comes because we are putting ourselves before others! The submissive mind focuses on serving others first.
   
   Spend some time considering the four examples Paul gives us in this chapter of those who demonstrated this submissive mind.
   Jesus (2:1-11)
   Paul (2:12-18)
   Timothy (2:19-24)
   Epaphroditus (2:25-30)
   
   How can you and I work to cultivate the submissive mind in our everyday lives?
   
   
3. The Spiritual Mind (Philippians 3)
   Chapter 3 focuses on the joy stealer of things. I see at least 9 times that the Apostle Paul uses the words thing or things in this chapter. The spiritual mind sees more to life than the things we possess. The sad truth is that many Christians live their lives collecting things, but as one preacher said, “There are no U-Hauls for hearses.” Our society lives under the impression that he who dies with the most toys wins. But what a sad commentary for believers. The desire for things is one of the major joy stealers of our Christian lives. I am not advocating a life of complete denial and living in abject poverty, but we must guard against allowing things to possess us. Paul reminds us that our citizenship is not on this earth as believers (Phil 3:20). So, it is important to use the things God gives us to help us serve Him and others and not allow ourselves to be serving those things.
   
   Take some time to see the joy and victory that come from the spiritual mind when seeing things from God’s point of view in Philippians 3.[3]
   We must be accountants with the right values (3:1-11).
   We must be athletes with the right vigor (3:12-16).
   We must be aliens with the right vision (3:17-21).
   
   What are the things you see here that can help you be a person with a spiritual mind?
   
   
4. The Secure Mind (Philippians 4)
   Often, I jump to Philippians 4 and try to deal with the sin of worry in my life. But this study helps me see that worry is the result of allowing wrong thinking and feelings about circumstances, people, and things to rule my heart and life. When I am taking care of my single mind, my submissive mind, and my spiritual mind, worry becomes much easier to combat. Paul reminds us that it is the peace of God that will keep our hearts in Philippians 4:7. That word keep would have been clear to Paul as he was imprisoned. It has the idea of to stand guard or keep watch, just as the soldiers would have done for him each day. Often, we allow the guards of our hearts to take a vacation and then wonder why we struggle with worry! Don’t let down your guard! The secure mind keeps watch to ensure worry doesn’t creep in. Some days that takes more effort than others, but we are not alone in this task!
   
   Look at the spiritual resources Wiersbe points out in this chapter that every believer has when we have Christ.[4]
   God’s peace (4:1-9)
   God’s power (4:10-13)
   God’s provision (4:14-23)
   
   ​With these resources at hand, we can find victory over worry!

There is so much more that could be said here about this wonderful book, but I hope this just whets your appetite to dig in and study more to help you in areas where your joy might have been robbed from you. Jesus desires that we walk with Him in joy. Take some time with Him today to ask for His help to cultivate the single, submissive, spiritual, and secure mind in you!

[1] The outlines and alliterated points in this blog post come from the introductory chapter of Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Philippians called Be Joyful. These are just my thoughts on this great letter from Paul along with some of Wiersbe’s quotations. I highly recommend using his book as a more thorough study of this challenging yet blessed book of God’s Word.
[2] Wiersbe. Be Joyful, p. 21.
[3] Wiersbe. Be Joyful, pp. 22-23.
[4] Wiersbe. Be Joyful, p. 23.

Which of these four attitudes—single mind, submissive, spiritual, or secure—do you find most difficult to maintain, and how might that struggle be affecting your ability to experience lasting joy in Christ?