Philippians 4:9 Paul writes to the believers in Philippi, he encourages them to live in harmony, cooperate with each other, rejoice in the Lord always, and to let all men know and recognize their unselfishness. They’re…We’re not to fret or have any anxiety about anything, and pray with thanksgiving, making our wants known to God. Paul tells us to imitate him, to model our way of living after his…and the peace of God will be with us. Paul isn’t telling us to model his life through a spirit of Pride, but rather a spirit of Humility, knowing God‘s peace can be interrupted at any time. His gnarled hands, his thorn in his side, his flesh that reminds him of imprisonment in Roman cell and a shipwreck. It’s not the troubles he points us to, but it’s the character of the spirit he has in spite of them. He encourages us to do God‘s will and trust Him for the details… and the Peace. Paul had all the reason in the world to embrace a spirit of Self-Pity, his choice to follow Jesus changed things for him. He was no longer the persecutor, he was the persecuted. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand the job description, he counted the cost, he chose to wait patiently for the time he would be at ‘home’ with Christ. It’s Paul’s confidence in what it means to have peace with God that strikes us today. This message of Truth transported through the ages, to every believer in every generation is blessed when they claim to it. It’s a peace that transcends all understanding, we can’t explain it other than… it’s God. It’s ours in our deepest suffering and our greatest joy, it’s ours when we don’t understand, when we feel alone, weak and exhausted. It refreshes us, restores us and makes us whole in Him. If we don’t have peace, it isn’t because someone or something took it away from us. The only way we lose our peace is if we give it up freely when we doubt, waiver, or don’t trust God in every situation we face. Paul doesn’t tell us to be like him because he’s so awesome …(see comments)