“Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.”
“And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.”
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,”
“whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
In a letter to the church in Philippa, Apostle Paul gave tit-bits to the brethren on how to serve God with peace and joy and tranquillity. We live in a troubled world and many of us are seeking for peace, success safety and joy; the least we expect is trouble in the flesh. Though we cannot escape the trouble in the world, we can minimise its impact on our peace.
In this exhortation, I want to share with you simple tips to serve God with peace and joy in a polytheistic society. It is possible to serve God with delight in spite of all the pressures we feel.
So the following are simple tips to help you serve the Lord with peace;
1. Stay true to the Lord:
Be resolved to stand fast in the Lord. Don’t be easily shaken but stand fast! Stay true to the Lord; don’t allow pressure from either within or without to make you compromise. Do all you can to stay true to God.
If you seek to please men, you are not a servant of Christ and remember that men cannot be please anyway. They will always accept you when things are going in their interest. As long as they are benefiting, they will hail you; and they will abandon you immediately things don’t go for them.
2. Live and work in harmony with people:
The Spirit of the Lord will not stay in a place filled with quarrels, grudges, and bickering. Let us learn to settle our differences and stay in harmony. The church cannot grow until our efforts are concerted and synchronised.
Remember, it takes teamwork to make the team work! As children of God, let us live and work in harmony with all men. I know that sometimes it is difficult, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can do better.
3. Delight yourself in the Lord:
Be excited about serving the Lord. Be glad that you belong to Jesus. Be excited that the Lord is using you. The truth is; you are missing nothing in the world. You have all you need in Christ.
When you focus on the wrong things, the world will make you feel like you are missing out but you are indeed missing nothing worthwhile. All the world is chasing are empty passions.
4. Be moderate, considerate, and gracious:
There are so many people you cannot help until you are compassionate. They will never treat you the way you treat them. They will smile when they need you and frown when they are done using you as a stepping stone.
Do not expect much from people or the church if you are the pastor. Just be moderate and considerate in your expectation, demands, and performance. Do not kill yourself, when you are tired rest! We need you alive!
5. Be anxious for nothing, just pray about everything:
If the church needs a bus, just pray about it; if it is church growth, just pray about it; if it is about your meeting place, just pray about it. Do not let anything make you anxious. Don’t compare yourself to others! Just make everything a prayer point.
6. Fix your thoughts and meditate on things that are true, honest, pure, just, lovely, admirable, and excellent; and practice all that you have learnt and received from your pastor:
What you fix your thoughts on will define who you are. You must always think about the right things, and your life will soon move in the right direction. Remember, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
I pray that you shall find joy as you serve the Lord. May you find greater grace and peace and excel in all you do! In the name of Jesus Christ! May the Lord keep and sustain you!
Bless you
Simpe Bediako
