“My Exceeding Joy” (Philippians 3:12-16)

 

Joy and Happiness
Can we rejoice even when we are unhappy? The answer is yes. Because joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness depends on our circumstances. When things go well, we feel happy. When life is hard, happiness fades. But joy is different. Joy is deeper. It is internal. And for Christians, joy comes from our relationship with God. As Henri Nouwen once said, “Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing—sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death—can take that love away.”
 
Nouwen tells a story about a friend of his. This friend was always speaking about the sun. He did not deny the sorrow around him. He did not ignore the cries of the world. But he remained joyful, no matter what. Why? Because he knew that in Christ, hope was more real than despair, and love more real than fear. Nouwen admitted that he often felt the pull to focus on the darkness—wars, the corruption, and the brokenness of humanity. But his friend would say, “I saw two children sharing their bread with one another. I heard a woman say, ‘thank you,’ and smile when someone covered her with a blanket.” And Nouwen concluded, “My friend’s joy is contagious. Through him, I am reminded that there is a sun, even though the skies are covered with clouds… Those who keep speaking about the sun while walking under a cloudy sky are messengers of hope—the true saints of our day.”[1]
 
Rejoice!
In this way, the Apostle Paul is one of those messengers of hope—a messenger of joy. In his letter to the Philippians, the words “joy” and “rejoice” appear again and again—about 14 times in this short letter of just four chapters. That is remarkable, especially when we remember: Paul is writing from prison.
 
So we ask, what are his reasons to rejoice? Paul’s joy is always connected to Christ and comes from Christ. Christ is the source of his joy. He begins chapter 3 with this invitation: “Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.” Then he shows us that life is really a pursuit of joy—but there are two very different paths. Paul uses his own life as an example—before Christ and after Christ. Before Christ, he pursued joy through his own performance. He had every reason to be proud: circumcised on the eighth day, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, blameless under the law. These were his achievements, his assets, his identity. This was his source of joy.
 
But when he encountered Christ, everything changed. What once looked like gain, he now considered loss. What once gave him pride, he now saw as a stumbling block. He even calls it rubbish compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ. Now, his pursuit of joy is completely different. He pursues joy by knowing Christ. He pursues joy by sharing in Christ’s sufferings. He pursues joy by living in the power of Christ’s resurrection. This is the great shift—from joy in self, to joy in Christ.
 
Abrahams and Liddell
The other day, my children and I watched the movie Chariots of Fire during our family movie night. It tells the story of two runners, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. Both were outstanding athletes. But they pursued joy in very different ways. Harold Abrahams was driven to win. He trained with all his strength, and he did win the gold medal at the Olympics. But even after his victory, he felt empty. He said something like, “I have ten seconds to prove my existence.” His joy depended on his performance. And it was never enough.
 
But Eric Liddell was different. He once said to his sister, “God made me for a purpose. He made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” For Eric, running was not the source of joy—it was a means of grace. Christ was his joy. When the 100-meter final was scheduled on a Sunday, he chose not to run, in order to honor God. Instead, he entered the 400-meter race on another day—and won the gold medal. Many expected him to continue to the next Olympics. But he chose a different path. He went to China as a missionary. Later, he was placed in an internment camp during the war. Even there, his joy remained. He used his gifts to serve others—teaching, encouraging, organizing games for children and families. They loved him. They called him “Uncle Eric.” His joy was contagious. He gave himself for others, using everything he had to honor God. In the end, he suffered greatly from a brain tumor. Yet even on his deathbed, he was still encouraging and discipling others. Two runners. Two paths. One found joy in performance, and it faded. The other found joy in Christ, and it overflowed, even in suffering.
 
Press On
Paul, in the previous passage (vv. 1–11), reflects on his life—before Christ and after Christ. Now, in verses 12–16, he shows us how he actively pursues joy after Christ has come into his life. He says, “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12, NRSV). Do you hear his heart? Paul has one goal, one purpose: to know Christ and to make Him known. So he forgets what lies behind and strains forward to what lies ahead. Ever since Christ revealed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus, he did not dwell on the past. He pressed on. He actively pursued a deeper, living relationship with Christ.
 
Two images may help us understand this. First, the image of marriage. In Hosea 6:3, we read, “Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “know” is yada. It is the same word used in Genesis 4:1: “Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived.” This is not just intellectual knowledge. It is deep, personal, intimate, experiential knowledge. When Joyce and I were dating for about two years, I thought I knew her. But after we got married, I realized how little I truly knew. We have been married for about 18 years now, and I am still discovering new things about her. And I hear the same from couples married 40, 50, even 60 years. A relationship must be intentionally cultivated. It takes time, attention, and love. Otherwise, it can slowly drift. In the same way, we are called to press on to know Christ more deeply, more personally, more intimately.
 
Second, the image of a runner. To run well, athletes discipline themselves. They care for their bodies. They eat wisely. They develop healthy rhythms of rest. They train daily with purpose and focus. That is the reason I love running. And Paul reminds us: whether we think of ourselves as athletic or not, we are all runners in our spiritual journey. We are pressing toward the same goal. Our one common goal is to know Christ and to make Him known. And the prize is this unshakable, contagious joy that comes from knowing Christ.
 
As Long as We Can
This past week, our dear sister Liz Taylor went to glory. I had the privilege of visiting her one last time. Though she had become unresponsive, there was a deep sense of peace in the room. And there was joy. I saw a life that had pressed on. A life that had fought the good fight. A life that had finished well.
 
I believe that is the kind of joy Paul is talking about. Friends, let us press on to know Christ and make Him known, “by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.” Amen.

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[1] Henri Nouwen, Here and Now (The Crossroad Publishing Company,1994), 35.