How do we define a good life?

A Life Well Lived

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

Today I want to discuss a passage of scripture from the book of Philippians chapter 4 in the New Testament. For all you new members, you can find this between the books of Ephesians and Colossians. It defines our lives and how we should be living them. Although there are many places in the Bible that talk about this same subject, I find this particular passage of Scripture to be most remarkable for the eloquent way that it exhorts us all to strive for something better in life. The example that the apostle Paul sets for us is truly excellent, and it starts out like this:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4, verses 4 through 9; NIV)

Is this timely advice or what? “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Be happy and contented! Why be anything else? There is no point in being miserable. Misery only begets more misery, and so it is a waste of time. Never mind the circumstances in which you find yourself from day to day. Forget all about the negative people, and all the haters too. There are too many of them already. Focus on the positive and eliminate the negative, starting from within yourself.

“Let your gentleness be evident to all”. If ever there was a single sentence in the Bible that should be taken literally, it is this one. Jesus said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”, and this is what He meant. This means, among many things, that we are not to be aggressive or intolerant towards one another. It means we all need to grow up and quit being so selfish. It means developing empathy and compassion for each other that is unconditional. Be gentle with others in such a way that it is obvious to everyone. Remember that kindness is always contagious.

“The Lord is near”. No matter what happens God is always close by. If things get really bad in your life and it feels like you are all alone and out of resources, that's when God gets the closest. He is always in charge regardless of your circumstances, and he is always in control of everything that surrounds us. But this also means that God is watching over us. He is listening to everything we say and watching everything we do. God is evaluating us all the time, so let's act like it. “Do not be anxious about anything”. God is in control, so worrying is pointless. We cannot let our “gentleness be evident to all” when we are worried half to death about things that are probably not going to happen anyway.

“In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God”. Being thankful in advance, expecting your prayers to be answered, goes a long way towards leading a truly Christian life. Remember, “the Lord is near”, so “do not be anxious about anything”. That's when God answers prayer the best. Have no hesitation at all about what to pray for as long as you pray for a positive outcome. God does answer prayer when it is prayed with good intentions. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. This is the antidote for being “anxious about anything”. Imagine being able to replace all your worries, fear and anger with an inner peace that comes directly from God. What an excellent life that would be! A peaceful existence is defined as a life without worry, fear and anger. It is the very definition of a life well lived, and it is a lifestyle that everyone should aspire to imitate if you are not already doing so.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, “think about such things”. This is what we should all be focused on. If you want to know what is proper and acceptable to God, this is the place to start. It is what to concentrate on as we live our daily lives. If you want to know what God's will is for your life, then live your life as Paul says. Think about positive things such as these and you can't go wrong. “And the God of peace will be with you”. Follow the example of Paul as he followed the example of Christ. God's peace in your life is a “peace that transcends all understanding”. Don't try to analyze it, just do it. Anybody can do this, it doesn't take any special talent or any certain brand of spirituality. Above all, this beautiful passage of Scripture transcends church denominations and all religious beliefs. Religious dogma often stands in the way of true Christian living because it is divisive by nature, emphasizing man-made doctrine over the pure truth that is the very essence of the Bible and the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Be happy in all circumstances. Carry the peace of God with you everywhere you go. Think only about positive things and discharge the negative. As Jesus said, “Who can add a single minute to his/her life by worrying?” This is something that takes daily practice, and I try to practice these things every day as best as I can. Follow my example as the apostle Paul followed the example of Christ. This is how we are to live our lives. We can all start doing these things today, one step at a time. If at first you don't succeed, keep practicing until you get it right. Life isn't a 25-yard sprint, it's a 25 mile marathon. Everyone has the power to live this type of a victorious life. Keep on doing so, knowing that God is watching over all of us. And His peace will most definitely be with you.