Why Memorize Philippians? Make the Trade

On Monday, January 28, we’ll begin memorizing Philippians 1, a few verses per week. [See the memory challenge here.]

But why? Why should we trade our time and energy for that?

What’s in it for us?

Let’s remind ourselves about the basics of Philippians, the 11th book of the Bible in the New Testament, the 5th letter. Who was it written to, who was it written by, what’s it about?

TO: Holy people living in a city in Greece (Philippi)

Philippi was a rich Roman colony in Greece, made up of both Romans and Greeks. They frequently worshiped the Roman emperor as well as Egyptian gods and other deities.

Although we don’t live in Philippi, are we holy people, too? Our gut response is: No! I’m not good enough to be called a holy person.

But the truth? If we’re a believer in Christ, we ARE holy ones, saints, the set-apart, in Christ Jesus. Not because we’re good. But because Jesus is.

This letter is for our encouragement, too.

FROM: Two servants, Paul and Timothy

Just as we don’t likely introduce ourselves as saints, we don’t usually say this either: Hello, I’m a servant.

But again, in Jesus Christ, if we give ourselves to Him to advance His cause, we are His servants. If it was a good enough title for the apostle Paul and his dedicated helper Timothy, we should claim it as well.

ABOUT: Being like Jesus

The book of Philippians is often called the book of joy. But it contains so many themes. In Philippians 1, we’ll look at:

Thanksgiving
Prayer
Spreading the Word
Living the Life
Encouragement
Standing Strong No Matter What

WHEN: Around 62 A.D.

Paul was probably a prisoner in Rome, Italy, when he wrote this letter. He had originally traveled to Philippi in Greece more than ten years earlier (Acts 16:11-40; remember Lydia? the Philippian jailer?). The church there was likely the first Christian community in Europe.

What’s the Trade?

So how is this useful to us in 2019?

Because Paul was in the midst of hard times, his joy and faith in Jesus are an encouragement to us in the midst of our own times.

Our circumstances differ, but our emotions don’t.

We don’t want our faith to differ much either.

I want the faith of Paul (Philippians 1:6).
The prayer life of Paul (Philippians 1:9).
The joy of Paul (Philippians 1:18)

Will we get Paul’s faith simply by memorizing words he wrote?

No.

But if memorizing these words puts us more in touch with God in the next few months, focuses our thoughts more on Him, and feeds us truths that never change, then the door for transformation is wide open.

Let’s walk right through that door.

The trade of our thoughts for His thoughts, our time for time with Him, and our effort for His delight is an offer we don’t want to pass up.

Memorizing scripture only takes a few minutes a day. It’s a small investment for a lifetime of benefits.